No Where to Run
by Ex-Shark-Virtue-005
Summary: Ribbons Alamark gets a hold of Tieria after Operation Fallen Angels and puts him through five years of torture. This will follow season two's plot but will be slightly AU.
1. Living in a Nightmare

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I am on a roll with these Gundam 00 fics the only problem is my computer crashed and it's been difficult to get them typed up. Well this fic is slightly alternate universe and it takes place at the beginning of season two. The rating may be changed later on depending on what I decide what to do with it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00 or its characters I only own the plot, Destiny Children and Miracle Wish.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter One: Living in a Nightmare

_He slowly opened his eyes and found that he was lying in a bed in what looked like a medical room._

"_Ah you're finally awake," A male voice that he had never heard before said._

_He moved his head as much as he could barely make out the fuzzy outline of a teenaged boy with light green hair and purple eyes, "Who are you…?" he whispered. With just that question he felt the meager energy he had weaken. Why was he so weak?_

"_My name is Ribbons Alamark," He said with a smile, "I'm glad you're finally awake. You were in really bad shape when I found you and it's taken you nearly three months to recover from your injuries." He felt a hand on his forehead as the adolescent continued to speak, "The enemy seemed to have a pretty tight hold on you and I hoping to release you from that hold."_

"_The enemy…?" He asked weakly, "Who…?"_

"_Celestial Being," Ribbons said, "I've been watching you for a long time now and it seems that you are extremely loyal to them. I am hoping that you will be as loyal to me as you were to them."_

"_Nani…!" He asked as he attempted to sit up but soon found that his body wasn't ready for such movement and he fell back panting for breath._

"_Take it easy," The boy said, "You still haven't recovered completely yet. You look upset, what's wrong? You should be happy, you don't have to deal with those humans anymore."_

"_Why…?" He said as tears came to his eyes, "Why…?"_

"_Because you're with your own kind now," The boy said, "Take it easy and rest, I'll explain things more when you're feeling better, Tieria Erde."_

* * *

Tieria Erde woke drenched in a cold sweat and panting heavily. He had been having that same dream for nearly five years now and he wished that it was only just a dream. He opened his eyes and almost expected that he was on the Ptolemaios but that was an improbable wish that would never come true. As usual the room that came into focus was the small closet of a room that Ribbons had given him a while back. He rested his arm across his forehead and sighed, he hated it here, all he was allowed to have was a simple cot because he wasn't trusted with anything else.

For the past five years he had been forced to fight against small rebellions in a mobile suit he wasn't accustomed to. He missed his Gundam, he missed the freedom he had on the Ptolemaios and he even missed his old comrades. He sighed as he thought of his old comrades, recently Celestial Being had made a come back. He had been there when Setsuna F. Seiei showed up at Proud with a modified version of the Exia. After seeing Exia the next thing, and last thing, he remembered was lying in his bed being harassed by Ribbons, Hilling and Miracle. He had no idea just how long it had been since then but he was guessing that it had been around a week. He knew that there was going to be some sort of mission today and he hoped that he wouldn't have to fight, he wasn't quite feeling well. At that moment he heard his door open and he pretended to be asleep.

"Tieria Erde?" It was Ribbons. Tieria opened his eyes and slowly sat up. It was no use trying to fool Ribbons, he probably used Veda to see if he was awake or not. "You're awake," he said with a fake smile, "Veda informed me that your temperature is finally back down to normal." He sat down on the edge of the bed, "I'm glad. I was really worried when your temperature suddenly spiked then wouldn't come back down."

"I've been sick?" Tieria asked.

"You've been very sick," Ribbons said, "But it seems as though you're finally ready for combat again. I have a very special mission for you today."

Tieria sighed he knew he would be fighting Celestial Being today, "I'm going to be fighting them aren't I?" He asked softly.

"What's wrong?" Ribbons asked, "You should be grateful that I was able to get you away from them."

"Why should I be grateful?" Tieria asked bitterly, "You've only held me against my will."

"Four years ago you were always telling Veda how you couldn't stand being around the other members of Celestial Being." Ribbons said, "I've made your wish come true."

"I _never_ wished for this." Tieria said darkly.

"As I was saying," Ribbons said, "Yes, you will be fighting Celestial Being today. Veda feels as though you are well enough, although it seems that she did not want me to deactivate the self-destruct mechanism. Should you try to activate it again, the consequences will be severe. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Tieria mumbled.

"Good," Ribbons said, "It would greatly trouble me if something was to happen so early on in the plan." He stood up and walked towards the door, "If be sending someone in to make sure you eat something."

Ribbons left and Tieria let himself fall back against the cot again. He didn't want to fight against Celestial Being. The mere thought of fight against his old comrades was making his already upset stomach feel even worse. He slung his arm across his stomach and shut his eyes as the door opened.

If he was lucky Ribbons would have sent Regene, Anew or Destiny to bring him lunch today. He didn't have much of an appetite anymore. He used to be able to eat most if not all of the food that was given to him but recently the mere thought of food made him feel like he was going to be sick. Regene, Destiny and Anew wouldn't force him to eat like the others would. Revive, Bring and Devine would make him eat about half of what was given to him. Afterwards he would then spend the rest of the day trying to sleep off a terrible stomachache and extreme nausea. If it was Hilling or Miracle, he would be in trouble. The two girls were the most sadistic and heartless of the group. They didn't seem to care for anyone but themselves. There had only been two times when one of them had brought him lunch and both times he had gotten so sick he ended up in a medical capsule for severe dehydration. From what Regene had told him Ribbons had given both girls harsh lectures afterwards. Apparently both times Ribbons had had to make major changes to the mission plans and he highly doubted that Ribbons would send either of them.

"Tieria-kun?" Tieria sighed in relief, it was Destiny. He opened his eyes and opened his eyes, "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No," Tieria said, "I was already awake."

"That's good," Destiny said, "You're looking much better today." She smiled, placed the tray she was holding on the table and placed her hand on Tieria's forehead, "It seems your fever finally broke. I'm so glad you're alright. After you met that Middle Eastern boy at Proud you started looking really pale. Then two days later you spiked a really high fever. I was really worried about you, Tieria-kun. You're temperature stayed well above forty for four days."

"Ribbons told me that I had been sick," Tieria said.

"What else did he say?" Destiny asked.

"He just said that he was worried about me," Tieria said.

"That lying bastard," Destiny said, "He wasn't worried about you at all. In fact he wouldn't allow us to give you anything for your fever. Gene-kun, Anew-chan and I would take turns taking care of you. Then finally Anew-chan couldn't stand to watch you suffer anymore so she administered a fever reducer."

"Did she get caught?" Tieria asked.

"Yes she did," Destiny said, "She was deployed to Krug Thep as a sleeper agent." She then sighed, "Ribbons seemed to like the fact that all you could do was sleep while you were sick."

Tieria sighed, "She was sent with them…" He murmured.

"Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "Who do you mean by them?"

"Celestial Being," Tieria said softly, "Krug Thep is one of their bases."

Destiny sighed and put her hand on Tieria's shoulder, "I'm sorry Tieria-kun," She said, "I know how you get about that."

"It's alright," Tieria muttered.

"No, it's not," Destiny said, "I can tell by the look on your face. You're in pain. You shouldn't be here, you don't belong here." Tieria sighed and shut his eyes, "I wish there was something I could do to get you out of here."

"Don't do that," Tieria said, "I don't want you to get in trouble because of me like Anew did."

"You had nothing to do with the trouble Anew-chan got in," Destiny said, "You didn't tell her to administer the fever reducer, she did it of her own free will."

"But it was because I was sick," Tieria said softly.

"Don't worry about it so much," Destiny said, "You'll feel sick again." She then grabbed the tray off the table, "Ribbons agreed to give you a lighter meal today, try to eat as much as you can."

"No, he's going to eat all of it," Ribbons said as he walked into the room, "I know what you, Regene, and Anew have been doing. Did you really think that I wouldn't notice that you were finishing his meals for him?"

"But sir, if he's forced to eat all of this, he'll get sick again," Destiny said "We'll have to put another mission on hold."

"I appreciate your concern," Ribbons said in a tone of voice that made both Tieria and Destiny feel very uneasy, "However, I don't appreciate your back talking!" he yelled as he slapped Destiny in the face.

"Don't hit her!" Tieria said as he stood up.

"You're in no position to stick up for her, Tieria Erde!" Ribbons yelled as he slapped Tieria in the face as well.

Tieria winced as the force from the slap knocked him down on to his bed. The slap wasn't hard, however in his weakened state, he didn't have the strength to prevent himself from falling.

"Tieria!" Destiny cried as Tieria just continued to lie motionless on his bed.

"I was going to have Miracle sortie with him today," Ribbons said, "But it seems as though you two have a thing for each other. I'll have you two sortie together so if one of you dies the other can watch in agony." Then he walked from the room, "You sortie in four hours."

"That bastard," Destiny said as she subconsciously rubbed the spot on her face where she had been hit, "One day I'd like to see him die." She sat down on the edge of the bed, "Tieria, are you alright?"

"I don't want to fight," He muttered without sitting up, "Not against them."

"I know you don't want to fight," Destiny said as she rubbed his back, "But you don't have a choice, what Ribbons says goes. Are you hungry at all?"

Tieria shook his head. His stomach was sick and just the thought of food was making him feel worse, "I don't think I can hold anything down." He said softly.

Destiny sighed, "Alright," She said, "I'm not going to force you to eat. Try to get bit more sleep. I'll wake you before it's time to sortie. But please, don't do anything stupid later, I don't want anything to happen to you."

* * *

Ribbons walked out into the lounge area where Hilling, Miracle, Revive and Regene were sitting either reading or chatting.

"Miracle you can relax," Ribbons said, "I'm having Destiny sortie with Tieria."

"Ah so you're trying to kill two defects with one mission, huh?" Miracle said, "I Like it."

"You do realize that Tieria's probably going to try and self-destruct his mobile suit again," Hilling said, "He's done that in the last…what was it, five missions?"

"I know," Ribbons said smugly, "That's why I haven't deactivated that yet. The soon he dies the better it is for us." He paused, "However, Veda keeps saving him. It's almost as if she doesn't want him to die."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much Ribbons," Hilling said, "I'm sure Veda will get tired of saving Tieria's pathetic life eventually."

"But if Veda doesn't want Tieria to die then chances are, she's not going to let him die," Regene said

"Shut up Regene," Miracle said, "You just don't want Tieria to die because he's your twin. Hell, I could give a damn if Destiny doesn't come back because Tieria went and did something stupid."

"You're twisted," Regene said, "There aren't many of us to carry out Aeolia Schenberg's plan we need all of the innovators."

"That is true," Hilling said, "But Tieria Erde is only holding us back. He's becoming more of an obstacle than Celestial Being is."

"Well he was a member of Celestial Being," Revive said, "Perhaps that has something to do with it."

"Who knows," Miracle said, "But it's like Ribbons said, the sooner we get rid of him the better."

Regene sighed and stood up, "Please excuse me," He said.

"Where are you going?" Ribbons asked.

"Just for a walk," Regene said.

"Go spend some time with your twin!" Miracle called as the purple haired boy walked from the room, "'Cuz he's probably gonna die in about four hours!"

"Now, now Miracle," Hilling said in a mock tone, "Was that really necessary?"

"Sure it was," Miracle answered, "Because it's the truth!"

Revive sighed as the two girls continued mocking Regene, Destiny and Tieria. He disliked talking about his teammates behind their backs regardless of how they acted.

"Aw what's wrong Revive?" Hilling asked, "Do you care for the defects as well?"

"I don't care for talking about my teammates behind their backs." He said.

"Aw come on," Miracle said, "Chances are they're going to be dead by this evening, join us."

"Even so," Revive said, "They are still our subordinates, alive, captured or dead.

"You're no fun," Hilling said, "Oh well it's your choice. We'll just keep having fun without you."

Revive sighed, "I'm going to head to my room," He said as he walked out of the room

"You're missing out!" Hilling called.

"I don't care." Revive said.

* * *

Destiny sat in Tieria's room. She had quite a bit to do before the mission but for some reason she didn't want to leave Tieria alone. She sighed as she tried to think of a way to get Tieria out of the situation he was in without getting in trouble but everything she thought of was bound to fail. She took his hand in hers, "I'll try everything I can to get you out of here and back to Celestial Being," She said softly, "You belong with them. Ribbons is being selfish keeping you here like this."

"Don't let Ribbons hear you say that."

Destiny quickly turned around, "Revive-kun, Gene-kun," She said softly, "What are you two doing here?"

"I'm only here to wish you luck," Revive said, "I'll be heading to my quarters."

"Wait Revive-kun," Destiny said, "I've been meaning to ask you this for a few days. How do you feel towards what Anew-chan did?"

"I'm impartial," He said, "I'm sure Anew had her reasons and I honor the decision she made. She may have saved Tieria's life by giving him that medication but at the same time Tieria might have pulled trough on his own. I'm just a little angry that Ribbons wouldn't treat the illness Tieria contracted. He may not be the most reliable subordinate but he's still our comrade." He opened the door, "I'll take my leave now."

"Thank you Revive-kun," Destiny said.

"Why are you thanking me?" He asked as he turned to face Destiny again.

"You gave me the answer I was looking for," Destiny said, "The others are all angry about the decision she made."

"I know," Revive said, "I wish you luck." He then walked from the room.

"How is he?" Regene asked softly.

Destiny sighed, "He's doing better than he has been doing, but he's still not at all well." She said.

Regene sighed, "In other words, he's in no condition to pilot," He said.

Destiny nodded sadly, "He can't stay here," She said, "It's not healthy for him. He's not eating, he's lost weight, he's just…deteriorating. If we don't get him out of here soon, he'll die. We may not be human but we still need everything that humans need in order to survive and he's not getting that here." She paused to try and hold back the tears that were threatening to fall, "As sick and twisted as this may sound, I wish Veda would just let him self-destruct his mobile suit and put him out of his misery."

Regene sighed and looked down at Tieria, "You don't really mean that," He said softly.

"I know I don't," Destiny said as she wiped the tears that had fallen from her eyes, "But I can't help but feel that way. He's suffering so much and I just…can't stand it anymore. If only there was just some way to deactivate his mobile suit just long enough for Celestial Being to capture him…he would be alright."

"But would they welcome him back?" Regene said.

"They welcomed the Super Soldier back after five years," Destiny said, "Why wouldn't they welcome Tieria back."

"The Super Soldier wasn't forced to fight against them, Destiny," Regene said, "Things are different with Tieria."

"He's still their comrade," Destiny said softly, "Dead, alive or captured by the enemy, he's still a Gundam Meister."

* * *

Well, let me know what you thought. The rating may change in the future due to content, there are several ways I can go with this story. I will update as soon as my laptop is working again. My penname may change.

_Ex-shark-7_


	2. To Stop the Fighting

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with the second chapter! There are just a few notes for this chapter. Thoughts are symbolized like this: /…/, Having a character talk in another character's head is symbolized like this, /_italics_/. Characters calling other characters is "_italics._"

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00 or the characters they belong to Bandai/ Sunrise, but the plot belongs to me!

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Two: To Stop the Fighting

Several hours later Destiny entered Tieria's room to try and wake him up.

She had already gotten herself ready for the mission now she needed to help Tieria get ready. She was surprised when she found that Tieria was already awake.

"Did Regene-kun wake you up?" She asked

Tieria only nodded as he sat up and put his glasses on. He still wasn't feeling quite himself, his stomach wasn't bothering him anymore but he just didn't feel right.

"Are you hungry?" She asked. Again Tieria didn't respond he just shook his head, "Where is Regene-kun?"

"He went to get me something to drink," He answered softly as he stood up.

Destiny nodded, "I'll wait outside while you get ready." She said as she left the room. As she entered the hallway she met up with Regene, "Gene-kun."

"How's he doing?" Regene asked.

Destiny sighed again, "It's hard to tell if he's still just groggy or if he's feeling sick again," She said, "He's not really talkative right now." She paused, "I've got a feeling that things are not going to go well today."

Regene sighed, "That's what I'm worried about. Tieria can't fight in the condition that he's in." He said as the door to Tieria's room opened, "Ah, Tieria I've brought you a water bottle." He then looked at Tieria and gasped. His twin looked worse right now than he did when he had fallen asleep three and a half hours earlier. He was extremely pallid, there were deep, dark circles under his glazed garnet eyes and his flight suit was baggy again, meaning he had lost more weight. Weight that Regene knew Tieria would not be able to gain back. "Are you sure his fever hasn't come back?" Destiny nodded and Regene bit his lip.

"When are we leaving?" Tieria asked softly.

"In about ten minutes," Destiny said, "Why?"

"I don't feel well…"

Destiny and Regene sighed again. They both knew that Tieria wasn't one to lie about how he felt, "Is it your stomach?" Destiny asked. Tieria shook his head and Destiny sighed again, "I checked your temperature twice this morning you're not feverish." Tieria walked up to Destiny and leaned up against her. /Could the medication have worn off?/ She thought as she noticed the sweat that had accumulated on the boy's forehead, /He's drenched in sweat/

"Is something wrong, Tieria?"

Tieria look up and saw Ribbons standing near Regene, "I don't feel well." He mumbled.

Ribbons faked a soft smile, "You're probably just nervous about facing Celestial Being," He said as he placed his hand on Tieria's clammy cheek, "But Tieria, I can assure you, Celestial Being is nothing you have to worry about. You've been piloting the mobile suit I've given you for nearly five years now. One of their pilots has been locked up during those years, one of them has been wandering Earth for the past five years and the third is a novice." He moved his hand to Tieria's shoulder, "I'm having you take care of them because not only are you my best pilot, I feel as though you'll be able to take care of them quickly." He smiled again, "Please try to cheer up. I wish you two luck today."

Ribbons walked away leaving Destiny fuming, /You lying bastrad!/ She thought, /You're sending him because you want him dead! Very few pilots have gone against Celestial Being and lived to tell about it!/ She turned her attention to Tieria, /He's in no condition to pilot…/ Her thoughts were then interrupted as her aquamarine eyes turned silver, "Veda…!"

Tieria and Regene looked up at Destiny and before he could say anything Regene's red eyes turned gold.

Tieria slowly opened his eyes, "Destiny…Regene…" he muttered. He then winced as a sharp pain shot through his head, /Veda…! But…why…?/ He then gasped as the pain increased ten-fold and he fell to his knees clutching his head, "No…no...not you," he moaned as his vision grew dim, "Get out…get out…of…my head…"

_/No Tieria Erde, you cannot be trusted to do things on your own. Which is why I am going to make sure you do exactly what you are ordered to, nothing more, nothing less. Do I make myself clear?/_

/Get out of my head!/

"_Tieria-kun!"_

* * *

When Destiny and Regene came out of their trances they found Tieria on the floor. His eyes were rapidly changing between their normal garnet and the golden hue they obtained when he was linking with Veda.

"Tieria-kun!" Destiny cried as Tieria's eyes returned to their normal color then shut as he lost consciousness. "Come on Tieria-kun wake up!"

* * *

"_Tieria, Tieria!"_

He could hear someone calling his name but what had happened? Why was his head pounding so badly? He slowly opened his eyes and found that he was lying on the floor with his head on Destiny's lap, "Destiny…"

"Thank goodness," She said softly as she placed a damp cloth to Tieria's forehead, "What happened?"

"He tired to control me," Tieria muttered as he shut his eyes, "He told me that he was going to make sure I followed orders."

"Who Tieria-kun?" She asked.

"Are you two ready?" A voice asked before Tieria could answer.

"Just about sir," Destiny said, "Just give us a minute, Tieria lost consciousness for a minute and he's just come around."

"Did he?" Ribbons asked faking a sympathetic tone, "I thought I told you that Celestial Being is nothing to get worked up about." He said, "You'll be fine." Tieria nodded, "Come on," Ribbons said as he pulled a still dizzy Tieria to his feet, "Just relax."

Ribbons let go of Tieria's arm. The purple haired boy swayed dangerously on his feet and would have fallen if Regene had not have been there to catch him. "Destiny," He said softly as Ribbons walked away, "I think he's running a temperature again."

"Hold on sir," Destiny called as she placed her hand on Tieria's forehead, "Tieria's running a fever again."

Ribbons turned and walked over to them, "Really?" he asked as he placed his hand on Tieria's forehead, "I'll be the judge of that." He paused. There was no denying the fact that Tieria was once again running a rather high fever. But that was no reasonable excuse to call off a mission, "Are you sure? His skin feels normal to me. I expect to see the two of you in the hangar in five minutes."

"But sir…"

Ribbons slapped Destiny in the face again, "I don't care if he's running a fever or not!" He roared, "He's going to sortie!" He then swiftly walked away.

Destiny sighed, "I'm sorry Tieria," She said as she rubbed her cheek, "I tried."

"It's fine," Tieria said as he pulled away from Regene, who was reluctant to let Tieria stand on his own, "Veda wants me to fight, she has something she wants me to do."

Destiny nodded then helped steady Tieria on the walk to the hangar.

* * *

"Good," Ribbons said, "I see you two are finally done making excuses. Now get in your mobile suits and get out of my sight."

Destiny sighed as helped Tieria get to his mobile suit, "If you really start feeling sick during the mission I want you to pull out and I'll deal with it." She whispered

Tieria nodded and got in his mobile suit. /Veda/ Tieria thought, /I hope your plan works/ "Tieria Erde, launching."

* * *

Sumeragi sighed as she walked by the room that had been assigned to Tieria Erde. They had been unable to recover both the Meister and his Gundam after the disastrous operation fallen angels five years earlier. Tieria's status had been listed as missing in action and while the others had long since given up in the hope of his return, saying that if Tieria was alive he would have gotten back to them by now. Sumeragi had not given up hope in the boy's return because, something told her that Tieria Erde wasn't dead. For some reason she had a lot of faith in the boy and she knew that if he was out there somewhere, alive and well, he would return. She opened the automatic door and entered the room. The room was bare save for a neatly folded purple and white uniform and flight suit. She sat down on the bed and sighed, /Tieria…/

"Ms. Sumeragi,"

She looked up and saw the newest Meister, Lyle Dylandi, "Lockon…"

The Meister sighed as he realized what she had been doing, "Don't you think it's about time you got rid of that?" he asked indicating the purple uniform, "It's been five years."

"I know it has," Sumeragi said softly, "What about it?"

"Well," Lyle started, "Don't you think…"

"Think what?" Sumeragi asked.

"Don't you think it's time to give up looking for the kid and change his status to killed in action?" Lyle asked, "It's obvious he's not coming back."

Sumeragi stood up and slapped Lyle in the face, "Unless I see Tieria Erde's lifeless body with my own two eyes his status will remain missing in action!" Sumeragi yelled as tears fell from her eyes, "Now get out of here!"

Lyle knew that there was no arguing with Sumeragi when she got like that. He just sighed and walked from the room leaving the tactician to cry alone.

* * *

Setsuna sighed as he walked by Tieria's room. As much as he wanted to tell Sumeragi that he had seen Tieria alive, he couldn't bring himself to tell her that the pilot she was looking for had been piloting an enemy mobile suit. He was about to try and comfort her when the alarm went off.

"_Enemy mobile suits detected!" _Feldt's voice called over the intercom, _"Meisters are to report to their Gundams and remain on stand-by. Sumeragi, please report to the bridge."_

"Sumeragi Li Noriega," Setsuna called as the tactician headed off in the opposite direction.

Sumeragi gasped in shock and turned almost expecting to see a pair of disapproving garnet eyes behind a pair of thin glasses, "Se-Setsuna," She gasped.

"Are you alright?" Setsuna asked.

"For a moment I thought you were Tieria," She said softly, "You had better get going."

Setsuna nodded and headed off to his Gundam. On the way he saw the unused Gundam that had been built for Tieria. Since all traces of the Nadleeh had disappeared, they didn't have the solar furnace to power the machine so it basically remained in the corner of the hangar and collected dust.

"Setsuna,"

"Saji,"

"We're waiting for you," Saji said, "The rest of us are ready to go."

"Ryokai," Setsuna said as he entered his own Gundam and got ready for combat.

* * *

Destiny sighed as she saw the Ptolemaios on the monitor of her mobile suit. She could tell that the three Gundams had already launched. She opened the communications line and saw that Tieria was asleep. She sighed, /As much as I hate to admit it, for once I'm thankful for one of Ribbons rules/ "Tieria-kun," She called, "Wake up." She watched as Tieria's eyes slowly opened and he groggily lifted his head, "Are you feeling any better?" She asked. Tieria shook his head and Destiny sighed, "Fall back Tieria-kun," She said, "I'll deal with Celestial Being."

"I'll be alright," Tieria said softly.

Destiny sighed, "I'm taking your mobile suit off of autopilot," She said, "Please, if you think you're going to pass out tell me and I'll hold them off while you fall back."

Tieria nodded. He looked towards the Ptolemaios and he immediately felt sick to his stomach. He could see the GN particles from three Gundams, /They've replaced Lockon and Allelujah/ He thought, /I wonder if they've replaced me yet/

"_Tieria-kun, are you ready?"_

"Yes," He answered, /Please/ He thought, /Don't let any of them get killed because of me.../

* * *

Setsuna was the first to see the two enemy mobile suits, /That's…that's Tieria Erde's mobile suit/ He thought, "We're going to avoid the darker colored mobile suit." He called to the others.

Allelujah was the first to respond, "_Setsuna_," He gasped. It was odd for Setsuna to tell them not to attack an enemy, "_Why?"_

"The pilot is a friend," Setsuna said not giving any more information on the identity.

Allelujah sighed. He wasn't about to argue with Setsuna, "_Hai_," He said.

* * *

Allelujah noticed that something about this operation was awry. The larger of the two enemy mobile suits seemed to be falling further and further behind the other. Then Setsuna told them not to attack the larger of the mobile suits. /Something about this feels wrong/ He thought /Is this a trap? Why aren't the enemies attacking us yet? Why did Setsuna tell us to hold our fire? What's going on here?/

* * *

Lyle was getting frustrated, /_This_ is how Celestial Being fights?/ He thought, /Well if Setsuna and Allelujah won't start this battle, I will/ He looked towards the mobile suits that were slowly approaching and took aim on the larger of the two. He was just about to pull the trigger and destroy his target when the Double O got in his way. "Setsuna what the hell are you thinking?" he called, "I was just about to shoot!"

"_Don't attack that mobile suit_!" Setsuna called back.

"Are you out of your mind?" Lyle called, "We're supposed to be killing these guys!"

"_I said don't attack that mobile suit!_" Setsuna yelled.

"Why can't I attack that mobile suit?" Lyle asked.

"_The pilot is a friend,_" Setsuna said. He knew there was no way that Tieria could attack them. Tieria may have been cold towards the other members of Celestial Being but he was also extremely loyal to them. /Even if he went through five years of brainwashing Tieria Erde could not bring himself to kill one of us/

* * *

Ribbons was not happy. He had been watching the battle through Veda and so far what should have been a brutal massacre of his two weakest pilots was a mere waiting game. /Tieria and Destiny aren't do anything/ He thought, /Looks like I'll need to motivate all of the pilots on the field/

* * *

Tieria was having a hard time trying to pilot his mobile suit. His vision wouldn't stay in focus and the heat from the fever he was running was making him incredibly drowsy. He was about to page Destiny when a sharp pain shot through his already aching head. _/I see you can't bring yourself to attack your old comrades so I'm going to have to force you to do it/ _Tieria gasped as he felt Ribbons force his way into his head. Then he felt as his body went numb and he could only watch in horror as his hand pulled the trigger against his will. Tears fell from his eyes as he tried to break the mental hold on him.

* * *

Destiny, Allelujah and Lyle watched in shock as Tieria made the first move and fired at Setsuna.

"_Some friend you've got there Setsuna_," Lyle said, "_He's attacking you_."

Setsuna dodged the fire and flew closer to Tieria's suit. /Could I have been wrong about Tieria Erde?/ He thought, /No, Tieria wouldn't do that to one of us. He's being controlled again, isn't he?/

"_Setsuna_," Allelujah called, "_Fight back_!" Setsuna was directly in front of the enemy and he wasn't attacking or letting anyone else attack.

"I won't!" Setsuna yelled as he continued to deflect the shots that Tieria was firing.

"_Setsuna you're being stupid_," Lyle said, "_He's going to kill you!_"

"_Come on Setsuna let us shoot him_," Allelujah said as he approached the suit hoping that he could find an opening to attack.

"I won't let you!" Setsuna yelled as he grabbed the gun from Tieria's mobile suit and threw it aside. He then brought out a beam saber and cut the hands off the suit. /That should keep him at bay/

* * *

Tieria couldn't stand it anymore. He wanted to end it but with Ribbons' hold on him, there was nothing he could do. /Setsuna get out of here/ he thought as his hand closed around the trigger again, /I don't want to kill you/ Then Setsuna pulled the gun away from his mobile suit then cut the hands off. /Thank you, Setsuna/ he thought as he felt Ribbons' hold fluctuate and Tieria regained control of his body.

"Destiny," he called, "I'm sorry."

"_Tieria-kun_," Destiny said, "_What do you mean?"_

"I can't stand it anymore," He said as he placed his hand on the self-destruct mechanism, "Protect my former comrades." He then activated the mechanism and tried to push Setsuna away, "Get out of here Setsuna!"He cried. He knew that this was going to devastate Destiny but he couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't live with himself knowing that Ribbons was going to force him to kill his comrades. He then let go of the controls of his mobile suit and tears streamed down his face as he waited for the explosion to end his life.

* * *

"_Protect my former comrades," _Tieria called over the communications line.

/No way/ Destiny thought, /Not again/ She then concentrated on the orange Gundam that was trying to attack Tieria. She flew in between the two mobile suits and hoped that Veda would prevent the fiery explosion that would probably kill the four of them, /We've got five seconds left…Veda stop him!/

Then at the very last second she felt her mobile suit jerk forwards. She turned her suit and watched in horror as Tieria's mobile suit exploded, engulfing the three other mobile suits that were in the proximity, in fire.

* * *

Oh boy, that's not good. Let me know what you think and maybe, just maybe I'll let the four of them live…

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	3. Trying to Trust the Enemy

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with the second chapter! There are just a few notes for this chapter. Thoughts are symbolized like this: /…/, Having a character talk in another character's head is symbolized like this, /_italics_/. Characters calling other characters is "_italics._" I'll try to update every other week or so.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while. But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Three: Trying to Trust the Enemy

Destiny opened her eyes and found that aside from the fact that her cockpit had been ripped open her mobile suit was still operational. She hurried over to the twisted remains of the mobile suit and pried the cockpit open

"Tieria-kun," She called in a futile attempt to get a response. She nearly cried when she found that there was a rather large piece of shrapnel lodged in his side and as she approached she found that he was still breathing. /Hopefully they capture us/ Destiny thought, /He won't make it if I try to take him back to base/

* * *

"Mileina, get me the Meister's statuses now!" Sumeragi ordered.

"Stratos-san was unaffected," the teenager said, "Signs of life detected from both Arios and Double O, both Gundams have taken major damage. One of the enemy mobile suits is sending out a distress signal, Noriega-san, what should I do?"

"Lockon," Sumeragi called, "Recover the Arios and Double O. Then recover both enemy mobile suits!"

"_Are you sure that's a good idea?" _Lyle asked, _"They did come after us."_

"Do not question me," Sumeragi said, "Just do what I tell you to!"

"_Alright, alright,"_ Lyle called back, _"I'll do what you say."_

/What was up with that?/ Sumeragi thought, /No one really attacked, then the larger of the two mobile suits went berserk and then exploded. What the hell was that all about?/

* * *

Destiny watched as the third Gundam approached the other two. /I wonder what they're going to do when they find out that one of their comrades caused that explosion/ She thought, /I really hope they take him back because…he's got nowhere else to go/

"_Can you hear me?"_ A voice called over the intercom.

"Yes," Destiny answered as she took Tieria's left wrist to keep his pulse.

"_My name is Sumeragi Li Noriega, did you put out the distress call?"_

"Yes I did," Destiny said as she looked at the piece of metal that had impaled Tieria, "My comrade is severely injured. I would try to get back to our base but both of our mobile suits are heavily damaged and I don't think my comrade would survive the trip back."

"_I've got somebody coming to get you now. We are willing to treat any and all injuries you may have sustained as long as you're willing to answer some questions."_

"I understand," Destiny called, "Thank you Noriega-san."

"_Just understand that we will probably have to keep the two of you as prisoners of war."_

"I think that's what he wants," Destiny said, "Is it possible to get a private medical bay?"

"_We do have medical bay that is reserved for prisoners, but it doesn't have full regeneration capabilities."_

"That should be fine." Destiny said, "Just as long as it keeps him alive."

"_Our escort should be getting to you now."_

"I see it," Destiny said as she darkened the visor on Tieria's helmet so his face could not be seen, "I thank you."

"_Beginning docking sequences,_" A young girl's voice said, _"Capturing enemy mobile suits."_

Destiny sighed and looked towards Tieria. His blood pressure had dropped which would have worried her if his pulse hadn't been abnormally fast due to fever.

"_Can you please get out of the cockpit with your hands above your head?" _

Destiny sighed and opened the cockpit, "Can you help me get my partner out of here?" She asked, "He's severely injured and I don't want to move him on my own."

"Sure," The young girl said, "Aeon-san, will you help her?"

A tall dark haired man approached the cockpit and helped Destiny lift Tieria from the cockpit, "Thank you sir," Destiny said, "I should introduce myself, my name is Destiny Wish."

"I'm Lasse Aeon,"

"My name is Mileina Vashti," The girl said, "What is your partner's name?"

Destiny gasped, "I think he would rather introduce himself when he's recovered," Destiny said, "I don't want to reveal his name…for his sake…"

* * *

Ribbons was quite pleased when he lost contact with the two pilots he had sent out.

"I take it the two defects finally bit the dust," Miracle said as she looked at the monitor, "Now if only we could get rid of Regene, then we'd be good."

"Regene won't pilot a mobile suit," Ribbons said.

"Why?" Miracle asked.

"He just won't," Ribbons said.

"He a weird one," Miracle said.

"I would rather watch than participate, it's more fun that way," Regene said as he entered the room.

"More fun that way?" Miracle asked, "Heh, you really are strange. Oh and by the way we finally got rid of your twin."

Regene frowned slightly, "I saw," He said, "But I have one question, let's say they survived and were taken in by Celestial Being. What would you do?"

"Kill them myself," Ribbons said, "They're no use to me if they let themselves get captured by the enemy."

Regene frowned more and left the room to try and warn Destiny.

* * *

Destiny sighed as she sat in a medical room. Tieria was lying on one of the beds but she had refused to remove his helmet so they could start the treatment. /I know I'm being selfish/ She thought, /The longer I keep his identity from them, the more danger I put him in, but…I can't bring myself to tell them that their comrade has been alive all this time/

"_Destiny," _Regene's voice resonated in her head, _"Don't come back, Ribbons will kill both of you if you do."_

Before Destiny could answer her link to Veda as well as the other innovades was broken. She sighed; she knew that was going to happen because it was what she had asked Veda to do.

"I sorry to keep you waiting," A brunette woman said as she walked in the room, "I had some things to attend to."

"It's fine," Destiny said, "I understand that your crew members come first."

Sumeragi looked at the blue haired girl in front of her. There was just something about this girl that reminded her of Tieria. Perhaps it was the unnatural hair and eye color, or perhaps it was the girl's extremely fair skin, or maybe it was the slightly disdaining frown on the girl's face. Whatever it was, this girl definitely reminded Sumeragi of Tieria. "My name is Sumeragi Li Noriega," she said, "I am Celestial Being's tactician."

"My name is Destiny Wish," Destiny said.

"First of all do you want to remove your partner's helmet so we can give him the treatment he needs?" Sumeragi asked. Destiny shook her head and Sumeragi sighed, "Are you sure?" Destiny nodded, "Alright then, Are you from the A-Laws?"

"No," Destiny said, "My partner and I were deemed unfit for the A-Laws."

"Then who sent you here?" Sumeragi asked.

"Ribbons Alamark," Destiny said, "We were sent to get killed. My partner and I were seen as the weakest so Ribbons set up the little operation to get rid of us."

"_Sumeragi,"_

"Ian," Sumeragi said, "What is it?"

"_I ran some tests on the enemy mobile suits,"_ Ian said, "_One of them was equipped with an original GN-Drive."_

"What?" Sumeragi gasped. The only GN-Drive they were missing was Tieria's, perhaps these two pilots knew something about the whereabouts of her missing pilot.

"_I ran more tests," _Ian said, _"And found that it is still assigned to Tieria Erde. There is no other pilot data in stored in its system."_

"Thank you Ian," Sumeragi said. She then looked over at the unconscious pilot. She then at the girl and she finally understood why she had been hesitant to remove her comrade's helmet, "The pilot over there is Tieria Erde, isn't it?"

Destiny sighed, "Yes," She said, "It is."

Sumeragi covered her mouth, "He _is_ alive…" She gasped, "Hurry up and get him in the capsule! I've lost him once, I'm not going to lose him again." Destiny removed Tieria's helmet and Sumeragi nearly cried as she looked at the pilot they had spent so much time and effort trying to find. But something was definitely amiss. Tieria was extremely wan and sickly thin. She had always thought that Tieria was slightly underweight for his height but she could clearly see his cheek bones beneath his skin. "I can't believe it...He's so thin..." Sumeragi said as she started the medical treatment, "What happened to him?"

"He's been really sick recently," Destiny said, "And for some reason he hasn't really been able to eat in months."

"Is it alright if I have a new crew member take charge of his recovery?" Sumeragi asked.

"Yes," Destiny said, "I don't want the others to know about him until he is well again."

Sumeragi nodded as she looked at the monitor, "He's feverish," She said, "Thirty-nine point four." Then something caught her eye, "Has he been on any type of medication?"

"No," Destiny said, "Well a few days ago we did administer a fever reducer but that should be out of his system by now, why?"

"It's saying that he has a high level of tranquillizers in his blood," Sumeragi said.

"What!" Destiny exclaimed. Then something clicked in her mind, "Ribbons…that bastard!"

Sumeragi sighed, "He's extremely malnourished," She said, "What has he gone through in the past five years?"

"He's gone through hell," Destiny said, "He was held against his will with no freedom. The only time he was let out of him room was when he was sent on missions."

"That explains the muscle atrophy," Sumeragi said, "It's going to take him months to fully recover, if he fully recovers at all." She sighed, "I'm putting him on full life support." She said, "The Nano-machines will breakdown the shrapnel in his side and repair the internal damage. He got seriously lucky; the shrapnel did not hit any vital organs." She glanced at the monitor, "Estimated recovery time two to two and a half weeks but it could take months."

"How are your other two pilots doing?" Destiny asked.

"Allelujah was just a little bit banged up," Sumeragi said, "Setsuna on the other hand he's just as bad if not worse off than Tieria. His condition is critical but we were able to stabilize him."

Destiny sighed, "He's already got enough eating away at him," She said, "This is going to kill him."

* * *

Well there it is. The four of them are still alive, barely. I know it was short but there was no other way I could add anything else without killing the mood. I wanted it to be this way and I apologize, I will make the chapters longer in the future. Let me know what you thought!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	4. Painful Realizations

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with a new chapter! I now know how the entire story is going to play out, (with some help from my friend) and it will extend to the end of season two with some changes to the plot, obviously. Besides that the and the pointless but necessary disclaimer I've got nothing more to say.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Four: Painful Realizations

"What do you mean?" Sumeragi asked almost fearful of the answer that the girl was going to give her.

Destiny sighed, "Tieria-kun caused the explosion that injured two of your pilots," She said.

"What?" Sumeragi asked completely stunned at the girl's statement. She would have never guessed that Tieria would do anything to harm his comrades.

"Tieria-kun activated the self-destruct mechanism in his mobile suit," Destiny explained, "He's done it in the past six missions…but this is the first time it's worked."

"Tieria was…suicidal…?" Sumeragi gasped as she looked over at the unconscious pilot in front of her.

"If you won't take him back, I can completely understand," Destiny said, "He has been working for the enemy and he did injure two of your pilots. We can head to Earth as soon as he recovers."

"No," Sumeragi said, "I don't care what he's done in the past five years, Tieria Erde is a Gundam Meister. He will remain here whether the others want him around or not."

Destiny smiled a bit, /Gene-kun was right/ she thought, "Thank you," She said.

"Well there's a lot I have to do," Sumeragi said, "Feel free to roam around the ship if you want to."

"You're giving me access to the entire ship?" Destiny asked.

"Of course," Sumeragi said, "We're really short handed here. We need all the help we can get and it's just a guess but your commander isn't the type to welcome you back with open arms is he?"

"No, he's not," Destiny said, "I've already been told that if I return I will be imprisoned or killed for allowing myself to be captured by the enemy."

"Well then," Sumeragi said, "From this moment forwards, you are a member of Celestial Being."

"Thank you, Sumeragi Li Noriega," Destiny said.

Sumeragi grimaced as her full name was used, "Please call me Sumeragi," She said as she looked over at the comatose pilot in the medical capsule. She had heard the boy call her by her first name too many times and since she had re-joined Celestial Being she had not allowed anyone to use her full name. "There's no needed to be so formal. Well come on there's really nothing more we can do to help him right now so let's let him rest for a while."

"Where are we going Noriega-san?" Destiny asked.

"To meet the rest of the crew," Sumeragi said.

Destiny followed Sumeragi to the bridge.

"Sumeragi-san, who is this?" A young man with one gold eye and one sliver eye asked.

"She was one of the pilots sent here today," Sumeragi said.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" A man with a longer red hair and green eyes, "She was sent here by the enemy."

"She has information on Tieria Erde's whereabouts," Sumeragi said, "And if she returns she'll be killed."

"Tieria!" A girl with pink hair called.

"Erde-san is a Meister, right?" A girl with brown hair and a yellow outfit asked, "I thought he died during operation Fallen Angels."

"You've been listening to Lockon too much, Mileina," Sumeragi said, "This girl says that Tieria is still alive."

"Is it true?" The young man with the different colored eyes asked, "Is Tieria still out there somewhere?"

"Yes," Destiny said, "I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Destiny Wish."

"My name is Mileina Vashti," The girl in yellow said.

"I'm Allelujah Haptism," The young man with the two different colored eyes said.

"My name is Feldt Grace," The pink haired girl said.

"I don't think this is a good idea," The red haired man said, "I don't care if she does have information on your dear missing pilot. How can you be sure she's not leading us into a trap?"

Sumeragi walked up to the Meister and slapped him in the face again, "She is going to be a new crew member so introduce yourself to her then get out of my sight!"

"Fine," Lockon said, "I'm Lockon." He then left the bridge.

Sumeragi sighed, "I'm sorry about him," She said, "He's new."

"It's fine," Destiny said, "He's still a lot nice than most of my subordinates were."

"I have a question," Allelujah said as he addressed Destiny, "You tried to protect me earlier, why?"

"Because he told me to," Destiny said.

"Who?" Allelujah asked.

"My comrade," Destiny said, "He had activated the self-destruct mechanism and he didn't want to bring anyone down with him. But the other pilot ended up severely injured…he's not going to like that."

"Mileina will you go down to the isolation bay with Destiny," Sumeragi asked, "You're going to be in charge of the other pilot's treatment."

"Hai-desu," The girl said, "Are you coming Wish-san?"

"Yes," Destiny said.

"Do you know why you're partner activated the self-destruction?" Mileina asked as the two girls walked to the isolation bay.

"He was going through hell and he just wanted it to end," Destiny said, "He was held against his will for nearly five years."

"Sumeragi-san has been really upset lately," Mileina said, "I've never seen her hit anyone before. I know it has something to do with Erde-san, Sumeragi-san worries about everyone."

"That's really nice of her," Destiny said as they entered the isolation bay, "You can't tell anyone what he looks like or who he is. I don't know if he wants his identity to be revealed."

"Alright," Mileina said. She took a look at the comatose boy, "I've seen him in a picture in Sumeragi-san's room," She said, "Wish-san is this boy Erde-san?"

"Yes," Destiny said softly, "Please don't tell anyone it's him."

"I don't mean to be blunt, but are you two lovers?" Mileina asked.

"No," Destiny said, "Our commander would have never allowed that. I was more his caretaker than anything else."

"Oh I see," Mileina said, "What is he like?"

"He's very quiet," Destiny said, "But I'm not the best person to ask, I don't think I ever knew his true personality."

"Okay," Mileina said.

Oi Millie-chan," A voice called as the door opened, "So this is where you were hiding."

"Dylandi-san," Mileina called, "What are you doing here?"

"This is where I get my treatments, remember?" A man who looked exactly like Lockon said. At first Destiny thought it was Lockon but this man had a patch over his right eye. He then stopped as his gaze fell upon the unconscious boy in the capsule, "I don't believe it…Tieria."

"Dylandi-san," Mileina said, "You can't tell anyone about him."

"Oh I know," He said, "If it was up to Ms. Sumeragi he would be in the main sick bay with Setsuna. Since he's here I take it someone doesn't want the rest of the crew to know about him." His gaze then turned upon the blue haired girl standing by the capsule, "Who might you be?"

"My name is Destiny Wish, and for the past five years I have been taking care of Tieria."

"The name's Neil Dylandi," He said as he walked up to the capsule, "He looks a lot weaker then he did five years ago, and I'm sure it's not just the chunk of metal sticking out of his side…But he looks…fragile and sickly. I've seen the kid totally passed out before but…he's never looked like this. What happened to him?"

"He was found by Ribbons Alamark right after Fallen Angels," Destiny said, "And for the past five years he was allowed very little freedom. But more recently…he started deteriorating. He stopped eating; he's been running a high fever for the past week and a half; he's lost weight and he hasn't been sleeping well."

"That doesn't sound like the strong and stable Tieria Erde I knew," Neil said "I wonder what he's going to do when he see me, he thinks I'm dead."

"And everyone else thinks he's dead," Destiny said.

* * *

/Where am I? What happened/ Tieria was trapped in his mind, /Why am I in so much pain?/

"_Wish-san, is this boy Erde-san?"_ Someone knew him, where exactly was he?

"_Yes," _Don't tell this person who he was, _"But please don't tell anyone he's here."_

"_I don't mean to be blunt but are you two lovers?" _Who was this child?

"_No, our commander would have never allowed that, I was more his caretaker than anything else." _Caretaker? Who was this girl referring to? Was it him?

"_Oh, I see, what's he like?"_ Why was this stranger asking so many questions about him? He needed to wake up but there was something preventing his eyes from opening.

"_He was very quiet, but I'm not the best person to ask. I'm sure I didn't know his true personality."_

"_Okay."_

"_Oi Millie-chan, so this is where you were hiding?" _Wait he knew that voice. That was the voice of...

"_Dylandi-san, what are you doing here?" _Dylandi...Wait, Lockon was alive? Now he really needed to open his eyes.

"_This is where I get my treatments, remember? I don't believe it…Tieria"_

"_Dylandi-san you can't tell anyone about him."_

"_Oh I know. If it was up to Sumeragi-san he would be up in the main sick bay with Setsuna. Since he's here I take it someone doesn't want the rest of the crew to know about him." _Setsuna was in the sick bay? Was he there because of what he had done? Was Setsuna alright?

/Oh no/ He thought as he tried to will his eyes open, /Setsuna…/

"_My name is Destiny Wish, and for the past five years I have been taking care of Tieria." _So Destiny was alright, that made him feel a little better.

"_The name's Neil Dylandi." _Lockon was alive! Tieria was in so much pain but he needed to wake up he needed to make sure that this wasn't just a dream. _"He looks a lot weaker than he did five years ago, and I'm sure it's not just the chunk of metal sticking out of his side, but he looks…fragile and sickly. I've seen the kid totally passed out before but he's never looked like this. What happened to him?"_

"_He was found by Ribbons Alamark after fallen Angels. And for the past five years he was allowed very little freedom. But more recently…he started deteriorating. He stopped eating; he's been running a high fever for the past week and a half; he's lost weight and he hasn't been sleeping well." _He tried to force his eyes open but he was too weak.

/Come on/ he thought, /I need to open my eyes…I need to see if this is real…/

"_That doesn't sound like the strong and stable Tieria Erde I remember. I wonder what he's going to do when he sees me, he thinks I'm dead." _

/If this is real, Neil's not dead/ Tieria thought, /Now if only my eyes would open…/

"_And everyone thinks he's dead."_

/No…I need to wake up…please…/ His mind screamed as everything started to dim again, /I need to see if Neil is really still alive!/

* * *

Neil sighed, "I already know that my brother is not going to welcome Tieria with open arms," He said, "And I don't know how Allelujah will react."

Then before Mileina or Destiny could answer, capsule's computer started beeping. "What's going on?" Destiny asked.

Mileina looked at the monitor, "It's saying that he's conscious," Mileina said.

"In his condition, how is that possible?" Neil asked, "So the kid still has an iron will huh?"

"Dylandi-san call Sumeragi-san," Mileina said, "His heart rate is much too fast."

"Tieria-kun," Destiny called, "If you can hear me, calm down."

"Ms. Sumeragi is on her way," Neil said, "How is he?"

"His pulse is coming down a bit," Mileina said, "Wish-san keep talking to him."

"H-hai," Destiny said, "It's alright now, Tieria-kun, you're back with Celestial Being."

"What's going on?" Sumeragi asked as she rushed into the room, "Please…don't tell me he's dying…"

"The computer is indicating that Erde-san is conscious," Mileina said.

"What!" Sumeragi gasped, "Mileina stop the treatment!"

"Ryokai," Mileina said as she did what she was told and the capsule opened.

Sumeragi walked up to the bed and knelt down, "Tieria," She called softly as she took the boy's hand in hers, "Can you hear me?"

"Sumeragi…" The boy whispered as his fever and pain glazed garnet eyes opened.

"Oh thank goodness," Sumeragi cried, "Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? I thought you had gotten pulled into Earth's gravitational field after that battle five years ago. Tieria…"

"Am I…really back…?" Tieria asked.

"Yes," Sumeragi said as she gave the boy a teary smile, "You're back."

"Is…Neil…still alive…?"

"I'm right here," Neil said as he knelt down next to the bed as well, "Hey kid, it's been a while."

"Neil," Tieria muttered as he smiled a bit, "You're alive…how…?"

"It doesn't matter," Neil said. He then turned to Sumeragi, "What treatment option are we going to take now?"

"The only option we have left," Sumeragi said, "Non-regeneration. It's obvious that the regeneration treatment is not going to be effective seeing that he's managed to regain consciousness despite treatment."

"In other words," Neil said softly, "The painful way."

"Tieria," Sumeragi said as she grabbed Tieria's hand again, "In a little while we're going to pull that piece of metal out of your side. Given your condition, we cannot use any sort of anesthetic so I'm gonna need you to be strong for me. Can you do that?"

"Yes…" Tieria answered.

"That's good," Sumeragi said, "Neil, will you go get Linda?"

"Alright," Neil said as he stood up and left the room.

Sumeragi sighed. She knew that she would have to keep Tieria conscious while they worked on getting the shrapnel out of his side. And she knew that it would not be an easy task. "Mileina will you go and get a bowl of ice water and a face towel?"

"Okay," The girl said as she walked over to the office.

/He's stayed conscious for this long despite his condition/ Sumeragi thought as she gently ran her fingers through the boy's purple hair, /But he's so weak the chances of him going into shock when we remove the shrapnel are high…I'm worried/

"Sumeragi…" Tieria muttered, "What's…wrong…?"

She sighed again and smiled a bit, "I'm worried about you," She said, "You're in bad shape right now and it's only going to get worse when we try to remove the metal."

"Sumeragi-san," Mileina called as she walked to the bed holding a cloth and a bowl, "Do you want me to put the cloth on Erde-san's forehead to try and cool him?"

"Yes please," Sumeragi said, "Does that feel any better?"

"Yeah…" Tieria said. The cold cloth felt good on his warm forehead. He smiled he missed this, he missed Sumeragi's motherly care. "Thank you…"

Then the door opened and Neil and a woman in her late thirties entered the room. "Sumeragi," The woman said, "Neil explained everything to me. I'm going to start right away. Mileina get him on an IV, saline only. As soon as he's on the IV I'll start removing the shrapnel."

The young girl set up the IV as Neil cut the flight suit off of Tieria. Once the top of the flight suit was off, they could see just how emaciated he was, "He's so thin…" Neil said, "How much weight as he lost?"

"Nearly ten kilograms," Destiny said, "He weighs about fifty-two kilograms now." Her conversation with Neil was cut short when Tieria gasped in pain as Mileina finally got the needle in his arm.

"Sumeragi will you keep the scanners on his stomach and the monitor towards me?" Linda asked, "And keep him conscious." She then looked at the monitor, "It's not in there deep. Alright here we go."

"Tieria," Sumeragi said, "I need you to grab onto my hand. And I also need you to talk to me, okay?" Tieria nodded. Then a pain like he had never experienced shot through his abdomen and he nearly fainted. "Tieria!" Sumeragi's panicked voice called out, "Come on stay with us."

"It hurts…" he gasped as the pain continued, "Please…make it…stop…"

"We can't Tieria," Sumeragi said as she sponged his forehead with the cold cloth, "That piece of metal is going to kill you if we don't remove it. Come on stay with me."

"We have a new Gundam for you, Tieria," Neil said

"A new…Gundam…?" Tieria gasped as he tried to keep himself from fainting.

"Yeah," Neil said, "Come on kid, you're doing great, just a little more."

"Neil…" Tieria murmured, "It hurts…"

Neil sighed, "I know it does," He said, "But you're too weak and sick for any painkillers, granted your body can't handle them anyway."

"I missed you," He muttered. Then the stabbing pain lessened to a dull throb as he saw a severely blurred image of a woman hold a piece of metal that was covered in blood.

"You did great, Tieria," Sumeragi said as she wiped the sweat off of the boy's forehead.

"Can I…sleep…now…?" Tieria asked as he began to blackout.

Sumeragi looked at Linda, "Can he sleep now?" The brunette asked.

Linda looked at the monitor, "I don't see why not," Linda said, "There's no sign of internal bleeding and he's not bleeding very heavily. Heart rate is rapid but is slowly coming down to a normal rate. Tell him that he can fall asleep. It will be easier if he's unconscious when I stitch the wound."

"Tieria," Sumeragi said softly as she returned the cloth to the boy's forehead, "You can sleep now."

"Thank you," Tieria whispered as his eyes slid shut as he finally allowed himself to loose consciousness.

* * *

He's alright...For now anyways. And Neil's back! For now anyways…okay I'm joking he's sticking around. Like I said, it's AU so I call the shots. Well you know what to do now, leave me a message and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Until next time!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	5. Uncertainties

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with a new chapter! There not much for me so say about this chapter so after the disclaimer (That I'm not even going to bother to change) you can get started.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Five: Uncertainties

It had been at least a week and a half since Tieria had woken up and the piece of shrapnel had been removed and the boy showed no sign of waking. And it had Sumeragi very worried.

"Linda," Sumeragi said as the older woman started her normal check up.

"What is it?" Linda said.

"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" Sumeragi asked, "It's been over a week."

"Give him some time," Linda said, "It's a miracle that he woke up at all. But his fever broke yesterday, his heart rate is strong and his stomach wound is healing nicely. The only think that concerns me is his weight. I know you want him to pilot but he's much too light."

"What does he weigh?" Sumeragi asked,

"Fifty-two point eight kilograms," Linda said, "Five years ago he weighed about sixty-one kilograms. I need him to gain about four or five kilograms if he wants to pilot again."

"How are you going to do that?" Sumeragi asked, "We may need his assistance soon. With Setsuna injured, we're down to only two pilots."

"I'm going to put him on a special diet," Linda said.

"Please don't do it right away," Destiny said as she walked into the room, "He hasn't been able to eat much in months. The last few times he was forced to eat, he got really sick."

"I understand that," Linda said, "I'm going to start him on either pudding or gelatin with an added supplement before I give him full meals. I want to get him used to eating first."

Destiny was about to say something but she was cut short by a soft moan.

"Tieria," Sumeragi said, "You're finally awake. How are you feeling?"

Tieria thought for a moment. He wasn't in severe pain like he had been the last time he had woken up. He wasn't feeling sluggish or groggy and the unbearable heat was gone, "I'm not feeling all that bad," he said as he sat up as much as he could without pain. He was feeling better now than he had ever felt in the past five years and he knew that there was no possible way he was fully healed.

"That's good," Linda said, "Tieria I need you to sit up all the way for me."

Tieria nodded and went to sit up. He grimaced as the pain returned to his stomach and his head swam. He fell back against the pillows clutching his head with one hand and his stomach with the other.

"Tieria!" Sumeragi cried.

Linda sighed, "Your body's not ready for such movement yet," She said, "Pick a color, blue, green, orange or purple."

"What?" Tieria asked, "Why?"

"Just pick a color." Linda said.

"Purple," Tieria said remembering the color of his old uniform.

"Alright," Linda said, "I'll be right back." She then walked out of the room.

Neil walked up to Tieria as the boy propped himself up again, "Hey kid,"

"Neil…you're alive…!" Tieria asked.

"Yeah, I am," Neil said.

"How is that possible?" Tieria asked.

"We've been through this once before Tieria," Neil said, "It doesn't matter."

"Tieria," Sumeragi said.

"Sumeragi Li Noriega," Tieria said, "How…?"

"You're back on the Ptolemaios," Sumeragi said, "We were able to rescue you."

"You mean…I'm back?" Tieria asked almost not believing any of it.

"Yeah," Sumeragi said, /He doesn't remember anything that happened the last time he woke up/ She thought, /Oh well, I guess it's for the best./

"Tieria," Linda said as she walked into the room holding a tray, "I need you to eat something."

Tieria looked up and saw that Linda had brought him a small bowl of purple gelatin, "Grape gelatin?" he asked.

"You need to get used to eating again," Linda said, "You've lost a lot of weight and you need to gain it back." She placed the tray on Tieria's lap, "I need you to eat all of this."

Tieria nodded and started eating. After he had finished about half of the gelatin he started feeling sick and he put his spoon down.

"What's wrong?" Sumeragi asked.

"I feel sick," Tieria said.

"You have to eat all of it anyways," Sumeragi said, "If you don't gain some weight, you won't be able to pilot."

"I'll be able to pilot?" Tieria asked as he picked the spoon up again.

"We already have a Gundam built for you," Sumeragi said, "But you're in no condition to pilot yet."

Tieria sighed and struggled to finish the rest of the gelatin in front of him. When he did, he handed the tray back to Linda and clutched his stomach.

"Try to keep it down," Linda said, "There's a supplement in it to help you gain weight and redevelop muscle tone."

"I'm not going to be sick," Tieria said, "But my stomach hurts."

"Is it your injury?" Sumeragi asked.

"No," Tieria said, "My injury isn't bothering me at the moment."

Sumeragi smiled, /He's gotten stronger. In just a week, he's gotten about ten times stronger/ She thought, /Why was I so worried? I should have remembered that Tieria's not the type who will give in easily/

"Is something wrong, Sumeragi?" Tieria asked.

"It's nothing," Sumeragi said.

"Are you sure?" Tieria asked, "You look upset about something."

"I was really worried about you," Sumeragi said, "You disappeared without a trace for five years. Then all of a sudden you showed up severely injured and in really bad physical shape." She put her hand on Tieria's shoulder, "Where were you all this time?"

Tieria sighed, "I don't even know," Tieria said, "A lot of information was withheld from me. All I know is that I'm not human, I'm an innovator."

"What is an innovator?" Sumeragi asked.

"An innovator is an artificially created human," Destiny said, "We use nano-machine technology and genetic enhancement to suppress aging and we also use quantum brainwaves and GN-particles as a catalyst to link to Veda." She then walked up to the bed, "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to talk with Tieria-kun alone for a while."

"I understand," Sumeragi said as she stood up and left.

"Let me know when you're done," Neil said, "I too want to talk to Tieria, alone."

"Okay," Destiny said as Neil walked out of the room as well. "Tieria, do you remember anything that happened in the past week and a half or so?"

Tieria thought for a moment, "No," He said, "I can't say I do."

Destiny sighed, "Do you at least remember how you got here?" She asked.

"No," Tieria said again, "I can't."

"We were sent here by Ribbons," She said, "Our mission was to take out the members of Celestial Being but the true intent was to have us killed." She paused, "Do you know how you sustained that injury to your stomach?" Tieria shook his head. /Was everything that happened blocked from his mind because of the traumatic nature… no wait…Veda! Veda must have blocked those memories from Tieria's mind…but why?/

"Destiny is everything alright?" Tieria asked

"Yeah I'm sorry," She said, "I'm sorry you have to hear this from me but…in the last mission you hit the self-destruct mechanism again, only that time it worked. Your mobile suit exploded. Tell me something, is that why you wouldn't fall back despite the fever you were running?"

"Yes," Tieria said. Veda's last set of orders for him was the last thing he could remember before waking up, "Veda told me to activate the self-destruct mechanism."

"Veda…but why?" Destiny asked, "When I saw you after the explosion Tieria, I seriously thought you were dead. Why would Veda do something like that?"

"Veda told me that if I did, I would be able to get away from Ribbons." Tieria said, "I needed to get out of there, I didn't care how."

"You went out on a serious risk Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "How did you know it wasn't Ribbons trying to get rid of you?"

"I didn't," Tieria said, "But something told me that the orders that I had been given were not malicious orders."

Destiny sighed, "When your suit exploded, you damaged two of the Gundams," She said, "And you nearly destroyed my mobile suit."

Tieria gasped, "Who did I hit?" he asked.

"Setsuna and Allelujah," Destiny said.

"Please tell me they're alright." Tieria said.

"Allelujah's alright," She said, "But Setsuna's in stable but critical condition." Tieria put his hand over his mouth, "Are you going to be sick?"

"No," Tieria said, "What...what have I done?"

"He's going to be fine Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "Don't worry about it too much."

Tieria sighed. He was beginning to get really drowsy, "How am I going to explain this to him?" He asked as he rested against the pillows, "How...?"

"I'm sure he'll understand," Destiny said, "I'll go get the others now."

Tieria sighed as he felt tears stinging his eyes. /How am I going to explain what happened to Setsuna and the others? Can I ever make up for my traitorous actions?/ He thought as he shut his eyes hoping that the tears wouldn't fall, /Are they even going to allow me back in after what I've done to them? If they don't, I've got nowhere to go. The Ptolemaios, Krung Thep and that hell hole have been my only "homes." What am I going to do if they reject me. I have never had a home on earth…/ His thought were interrupted when he felt someone's hand on his forehead.

"Hey are you feeling alright?" Neil asked. Tieria opened his eyes and the tears he was trying to hold back fell, "Tieria, you're crying."

"Neil…" Tieria murmured as he finally broke down. Neil was taken off guard by Tieria's actions. Neil had only seen Tieria cry once and that was after his eye had been injured by a GN-X fighter. Tieria had been a royal mess after that battle. The boy had passed out right after the battle, then once he came around, Tieria had gotten violently sick. Neil remembered staying up nearly all night with Tieria about a day after the incident. The kid cried the entire night and every so often he would make himself sick from working himself up so much.

"Calm down Tieria," Neil said as he gently embraced the boy.

"Just let him cry," Destiny said, "He needs to after the four years he went through."

Neil nodded and gently held Tieria until the boy exhausted himself.

* * *

Allelujah and Lyle stood in the main sick bay watching Setsuna.

"Can you believe that asshole pilot that did that to Setsuna is still alive and to make matters worse, he's still on this ship?" Lyle asked. "And what's even worse than that is that Ms. Sumeragi is spending more time with that bastard than she is with her own pilot."

"I heard he's woken up," Allelujah said, "Perhaps she's questioning him."

"If it was me," Lyle said, "There would be no questioning. The only thing that bastard would get is a bullet to the head."

"He does have information about Tieria's whereabouts," Allelujah said, "Sumeragi-san is probably keeping him around until he tells us where Tieria is."

"Tieria Erde is dead," Lyle said flatly, "They never found him. He was either dragged into Earth's atmosphere or he was completely incinerated. Which is what would have happened if he was dragged into Earth's atmosphere anyway."

"How can you be so sure?" Allelujah said, "Both Setsuna and I disappeared without a trace for five years and yet we're both still alive."

Lyle sighed. Allelujah had him against a wall with that retort. "It's different," he stammered.

"How is it different?" Allelujah asked.

"It just is alright?" Lyle yelled.

"What the hell are you yelling about?"

"Neil," Allelujah said. He was glad that he wasn't alone with Lyle anymore.

"It's nothing," Lyle murmured.

"Well you seemed pretty upset for it to be just nothing," Neil said.

"We were just discussing the fact that Sumeragi-san had been spending more time with the pilot we took prisoner than she is with Setsuna," Allelujah said.

"Well Setsuna's Gundam anyway, so we know he'll pull through," Neil said.

"Just what the hell does that mean?" Lyle asked.

"What?" Neil asked, "You've never heard the kid scream "I am Gundam" before?"

"No," Lyle said, "Why would he? It's stupid and makes no sense for him to scream that."

"Don't let Setsuna hear you say that," Neil said, "He might just go Gundam on your ass. And besides that pilot we got last week is really fragile and a bit lost, so he'll probably be staying with us from now on."

"Is Ms. Sumeragi stupid?" Lyle asked, "And what do you mean he's fragile and a bit lost? I swear all of you have lost your minds."

Neil pulled out a gun and pointed it at his brother, "You had better watch it," He said in a low voice, "Cuz you're really starting to piss me off. I don't care if you are my brother no one insults Ms. Sumeragi or any of our comrades in front of me."

"There is something I want to know," Lyle said as he turned towards the door, "Why was Setsuna protecting that pilot?"

"Setsuna's a smart boy," Neil said as he put his gun back, "He knew something about that pilot's identity that no one else did at the time."

"Fine," Lyle said, "It's your prerogative if you all want to get killed by that pilot when he snaps again. I'll just say I told you so."

Neil sighed as his brother walked from the room, "I don't know what I'm going to do with him." He said.

"If you don't mind me asking, why does he hate you so much?" Allelujah asked.

"I think he was jealous of me when we were younger." Neil said, "I was the "perfect" older twin and he was the "ignored middle child." But I'm not sure if that was the case. In junior high he went away to boarding school and after the death of our parents and little sister, I never saw or talked to him again."

"That's horrible." Allelujah said, "Hey, do you think that pilot we captured really has information on Tieria's whereabouts?"

"Yes," Neil said, "I think he does…no I _know _he does."

"I don't know if we can trust him though," Allelujah said, "Look what he did to Setsuna. That explosion did a number on him and our mobile suits."

"What if I told you that the explosion was an attempt for the pilot to end his life?" Neil asked.

"I would be even more ticked off," Allelujah said, "The pilot shouldn't have tried to kill himself is such close proximity to other mobile suits. And it pisses me off that he got away with lesser injuries then Setsuna did."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that" Neil said, "The pilot might have woken up, but he's still a long way from a full recovery."

"But your brother said…"

"Don't listen to what my brother says," Neil said, "He's always been known for stretching the truth. That pilot was in critical condition when he got here."

"But I heard he's doing much better than Setsuna is now," Allelujah said.

"No…he's not," Neil said softly, "He's not on any cell regeneration treatments. The only thing he's on is a saline drip right now. His body is weak and the chances of him developing an infection are high. He might have regained consciousness way earlier then expected but he's still in critical condition."

"Why do you seem so concerned over the pilot's condition?" Allelujah asked.

"Because the pilot is a dear friend, from a long time ago," Neil said.

* * *

So, Tieria basically forgot what happened the first time he woke up and nearly everything that happened before hand. He found out about Setsuna and Allelujah being alive (barely in Se-chan's case) how he takes that news is still a mystery to even me (Not really, I'm just not sure how to portray it). And Lyle's being a total ass. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Until next time Minna-san!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	6. A False Truth

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with a new chapter! Like last chapter, there's not much for me so say about this chapter so after the disclaimer (That I'm _still_ not going to bother to change) you can get started.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Six: A False Truth

"You know that pilot?" Allelujah asked, "How?"

"It doesn't matter how I know him," Neil said.

"I see," Allelujah said as the door opened and the blue haired girl walked in, "It's you."

"Oi, she does have a name," Neil said.

"I'm sorry Destiny," Allelujah said.

"Haptism-san," Destiny said, "If you don't mind I would like to talk to Dylandi-san."

"It's alright," Allelujah said, "I can leave if you want."

"No," Destiny said, "I need to talk to him in private. We're probably going to go to the isolation ward again."

"Okay," Allelujah said as Neil and Destiny left the room, "Have fun."

When Neil and Destiny got back to the isolation ward, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Your relationship with Tieria," Destiny said, "I've never seen Tieria smile before or cry for that matter. And yet he did both while talking to you. What is Tieria to you?"

Neil sighed, "Tieria…is my little brother, so to speak," Neil said, "The kid has no family, none of us do. So being the oldest, I took the role of the older brother."

"I see," Destiny said.

"Now I have a question for you," Neil said, "What is _your _relationship with Tieria?"

"I was his caretaker, so to speak," Destiny said, "He almost needed to be constantly monitored during the past four years. He was extremely unstable both mentally and physically. Tieria would often cry your name in his sleep."

"Would he?" Neil asked.

"Yeah," Destiny said, "Almost every night."

Neil sighed as he walked up to Tieria's bed, "I can see why," Neil said, "Everyone thought that I had died. And Tieria…well the kid blamed himself for the blindness I have in my right eye. Our Gundams had been disconnected from Veda in the middle of a battle. Lucky for us Ms. Sumeragi had a backup operating system; however, Tieria's Gundam, the Virtue, didn't take to the system. He was trying to link with Veda." He paused, "He was going to get killed if I didn't do anything. And as his 'older brother,' I couldn't let that happen. So I took an attack that was meant for him."

Destiny sighed and looked over at Tieria, "That would explain a lot," She said, "That would explain why he was so protective of me. He probably saw me as his little sister the way you saw him as a younger brother."

Neil sighed and looked at the girl then to Tieria, "The two of you look a lot alike," He said, "And you tend to act a lot like the way he did as well."

"We're both innovators if that's what you mean," Destiny said.

"No," Neil said, "It's more than that. It's hard to explain. But the way you care for him it's almost as if the two of you are biologically related."

"That's impossible," Destiny said, "We were created not born. Human DNA was used as the base of how we were created, but Tieria and I don't have the same base pattern."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Neil said, "The two of you are too much alike. I would look into that if I were you."

Destiny sighed, "How can I?" She asked, "I've been disconnected from Veda. And I wouldn't have access to that sort of information anyway."

"Oh, I see," Neil said as he looked over at Tieria, "Hey kid, how are you feeling?"

Tieria sat up a bit, "Not bad," He said.

"I'm glad," Neil said, "I was worried when you got all upset like that. Are you in a better mood now?"

Tieria shrugged, "I guess," He said as he stared down at the floor, "Is Sumeragi around?"

"Yeah," Neil said, "Do you want me to get her?"

"Yes please," Tieria said.

"I'll be right back," Neil said as he walked off towards the little office that was attached to the isolation bay.

"Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "I'm sorry if I upset you earlier. I really didn't mean it."

"It's fine," Tieria said, "I was going to find out what I did sooner or later."

"Are you sure?" Destiny asked.

"Yes," Tieria said.

"Something is bothering you Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "What is it?"

"Nothing," Tieria said bitterly.

Destiny sighed as Sumeragi entered the room with Linda, "Hello Sumeragi-san, Linda-san," Destiny said.

"Hello," Linda said, "Tieria, how are you feeling?"

"Better," Tieria said, "Sumeragi, I want to speak with the others."

"Tieria…" Sumeragi said.

"Please," Tieria said, "The sooner I confront the rest of the crew the sooner I'll feel better about the entire situation I've gotten myself into."

"Tieria," Sumeragi said, "You're not strong enough yet. You're still too weak to be up and about."

"Please," Tieria said, "I need to apologize for my actions."

Sumeragi looked at Linda, "What do you think?" She asked, "You're the one in charge of his care. I'm going to let you make the decision."

Linda sighed and looked at the monitor beside the bed, "I don't see why not, he seems strong enough," she said, "However I want him to return here when he's done, his stomach wound hasn't healed completely yet."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "Do you think you'll need any help Tieria?"

"No," Tieria said as he slowly sat up fully. He wasn't met with any pain however; his stomach muscles were rather tight and weak, "I can manage."

"You're not going to be able to make it there on your own," Neil said as Tieria went to stand, "You haven't gotten out of bed in well over a week." He carefully helped Tieria stand while being cautious of the boy's injury, "How are you holding up?"

"Alright," Tieria said as he gritted his teeth. The healing laceration was beginning to throb again and he was feeling a bit lightheaded. He put his hand to his stomach and Neil took notice.

"Does it hurt?" He asked as he also noticed the slight look of pain on the boy's face.

"A little bit," Tieria lied. The wound was excruciatingly painful. It wasn't as bad as when they had removed the piece of shrapnel but it was still bad.

"Tieria maybe this isn't such a good idea," Sumeragi said, "You really look like you're in pain."

"I'll be alright," Tieria said through clenched teeth, "I need to do this."

"The crew members aren't going anywhere Tieria," Neil said, "You can wait a few more days."

"No," Tieria said, "I want to do this now."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "I'll page the rest of the crew."

* * *

Feldt sat in the main medical bay. She had been put in charge of Setsuna's treatment and when she wasn't needed in the bridge she was here. She felt bad for Setsuna from looking at the video log from the mission it looked as though Setsuna was trying to protect the others from the explosion. /What does Setsuna know about that pilot?/ She thought, /He knows something. I know he does, but what is it?/

"_I need all crew members to report to the isolation bay meeting room immediately," _Sumeragi's voice called over the announcement system, _"I repeat I need all crew members to report to the isolation bay meeting room immediately."_

Feldt sighed. She wanted to go but she also wanted to monitor Setsuna.

"Aren't you going to go?"

She gasped and looked up, "Setsuna," She said, "You're awake!"

"Well are you going to go?" Setsuna asked as he sat up wincing as he was met with pain and stiffness in his chest.

"I guess," Feldt said.

"Good," Setsuna said as he stood up, "I'm going."

"Setsuna wait!" Feldt called as she followed him out of the room, "You're still weak! You shouldn't be walking around yet! Setsuna!"

* * *

Tieria sat in the meeting room with his helmet on. He didn't want to reveal his identity until he was ready to do so. He was feeling nervous about coming face to face with his old comrades for some reason and it was making him feel rather nauseous.

The door opened and Allelujah, Mileina, Ian Vashti and a man how looked exactly like Neil walked in.

"What is this all about?" The man in green asked, "It had better be important."

"Shut up Lyle," Neil said.

Tieria clutched his stomach as tightly as he could without feeling any pain, /I feel sick/ He thought, /Is this really such a good idea?/

"Oi," The man called Lyle said, "We're here because of you right? Well take off your helmet so we can see your goddamn face."

Tieria sighed and reached for his helmet. He was shaking now, nearly uncontrollably.

"What the hell is taking you so long?" Lyle yelled, "Hurry it up!"

"Stop it Lockon," Allelujah said as he took notice to how bad the prisoner's hands were shaking, "He looks nervous."

"More like anxious to kill us," Lyle said.

"Shut the hell up Lyle!" Neil said.

Allelujah sighed as he heard the helmet hit the table. He then looked up and gasped as he saw the face of the person sitting in front of him. There was no mistaking that vivid dark purple shoulder length hair or those narrow garnet eyes, "T-Tieria…?" He gasped, "You're…alive…?"

"Yes I am, Allelujah Haptism," Tieria said.

"I'm so glad to see you," Allelujah said, "Where have you been all this time?"

"With the enemy," Tieria said softly.

"You're a…traitor…?" Allelujah asked.

"If he's traitor," Lyle said, "I say we kill him. If he betrayed us once, he'll probably do it again."

"No!" Tieria cried.

"No what?" Lyle asked.

"I…I was forced…" Tieria muttered, "I didn't want to…"

"You're full of bull," Lyle said, "They all say that. You're just like the rest of them. This bastard is the one who hurt Setsuna!"

Allelujah looked at Tieria. He looked so much weaker and paler then he remembered him being. "Is it true, Tieria?" Allelujah asked not wanting to believe anything that Lyle said, "Are you really the one who caused that explosion?"

Tieria sighed, "Yes I am," he said, "I hit the self-destruct mechanism on my mobile suit. I take full responsibility for the explosion."

"You bastard!" Lyle yelled as he pulled his gun and pointed it at Tieria as the boy's head dipped.

"No…" Allelujah gasped, "It's not true…it can't be true…"

"Oh but it is," Tieria said in a tone of voice that Allelujah had never heard before, "I was trying to kill him, but obviously, I failed."

"Tieria," Allelujah said, "What happened to you?"

"I realized how weak you humans are," Tieria said darkly.

"Tieria…" Destiny muttered. /What happened to him?/ She thought. She then looked at his eyes and gasped, /Dammit Ribbons!/

Allelujah reached for his own gun, "I don't know what happen to you Tieria," He said, "But you've gone too far."

"I see we've both come to the consensus that this bastard needs to die," Lyle said.

"Allelujah, Lyle what the hell do you think you're doing?" Sumeragi cried, "Stop this!"

"Let them kill me," Tieria said, "I don't mind. I deserve to be killed."

"Tieria what are you saying?" Neil asked as he stepped in front of Tieria.

"Stand aside you stupid human," Tieria said, "Otherwise you'll be killed as well."

Neil pulled his hand into a fist and punched Tieria in the face, "I don't know who the hell you are but you had better leave Tieria alone!" He yelled.

"What are you talking about Neil Dylandi?" Tieria asked, not at all phased by the hard blow to the face, "This is who I am."

"Nii-san," Lyle yelled, "Get out of the way so we can kill this guy!"

Then before Neil could do anything, Tieria shoved him to the ground and grabbed his gun, "Did I not tell you that you were going to be killed if you did not step aside?" Tieria said as he cocked the gun and pointed it at Neil.

"NII-SAN!" Lyle yelled as he readied his gun and pointed it at Tieria.

Tieria gasped as he realized what he was about to do probably just before he was about to do it. He dropped the gun in shock and heard another gun cock. He turned and saw both Lyle and Allelujah each pointing a gun at him, "What...what have I been doing?" He murmured as he held his now aching head.

"DIE BASTARD!"

"NO! DON'T SHOOT!"

"SETSUNA!"

Then there was a gun shot and everything went silent.

* * *

Oh no, this can't be good. So Tieria tries to confront the crew members of the Ptolemaios and he gets mind hacked by that green-haired bastard Ribbons Alamark. Then to make matters worse Lyle and Allelujah doesn't want to hear it. Who pulled the trigger? Who took the shot? Just a few things to ponder as you wait for the next chapter. I know this chapter was short but I felt like being evil and leaving it at a major cliffhanger. School started up again so my updates might be a bit more spread out. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Until next time Minna-san!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	7. A Warm, Much Needed Welcome

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with a new chapter! Despite school I'm getting these up pretty quickly. There's just one little flashback scene in this chapter and it's in italics. Aside from that, you can get started (reading the disclaimer is optional). :3

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Seven: A Warm, Much Needed Welcome

Tieria's eyes widened in shock as Setsuna collapsed to the floor in front of him. "Setsuna!" Tieria cried as he knelt down ignoring the stabbing pains that shot through his stomach, "Setsuna!"

"It's been awhile," Setsuna said as he pulled himself off of the ground, "Tieria Erde."

"Setsuna…" Tieria muttered mustering up a smile despite the pain that began to overwhelm him, "F…Seiei…"

"Tieria!" Setsuna called as Tieria fell forwards, "Tieria Erde!" Setsuna looked over at Lyle and Allelujah who both had their guns drawn.

Allelujah looked mortified, "Tieria…I…I almost shot him…" He muttered as he dropped the gun that was in his hand, "What…what was I thinking…?"

"What the hell are you doing Setsuna!?" Lyle yelled, his gun still smoking "I could have just killed you!"

"What the hell do you think _you're _doing!?" Setsuna yelled as he cradled Tieria's head and shoulders, "I don't care what you may think! Tieria Erde is our comrade! He's a Meister like the rest of us, regardless of what he's done in the past five years!"

"But Setsuna," Lyle said, "You're being stupid! He attacked you!"

"I don't give a damn!" Setsuna snapped, "That was not Tieria Erde who attacked me. Tieria Erde would never do that! And you…are not…to hurt him…he's…not…"

"Setsuna!" Neil called as he prevented him from bashing his head on the hard metal floor as he lost consciousness. He then looked over at his brother and Allelujah, "Lyle, Allelujah help me here," He called. Allelujah walked over to Neil while Lyle just continued standing there with his gun drawn, "Lyle put your goddamn gun away, get that stupid look off of you face and get your ass over here and help!"

"Fine," Lyle said as he walked over to his brother and roughly shoved Tieria's head off of Setsuna's lap, "There, I helped."

Neil handed Setsuna off to Allelujah, stood up and punched Lyle in the face so hard he fell to the ground. "I am fed up with your attitude right now!" He yelled as he pulled Lyle to his feet by the collar of his uniform and slammed him against the wall, "Get the hell out of here! I don't want to see your face right now!" He released his brother then watched as Lyle walked towards the door, "Oh before you go, give me your gun," Lyle turned and threw his gun on the table, "You'll get it back when you prove that you can behave yourself." Lyle walked from the room and Neil sighed, "I don't know what to do with him."

"Neil," Allelujah said softly as he noticed a growing dark red stain on Tieria's shirt, "I think Tieria's stomach is bleeding."

"What!?" Neil, Destiny, and Sumeragi exclaimed as Feldt cried on Sumeragi's shoulder.

Neil walked over to the boy, walked over to the unconscious boy and gently lifted Tieria's shirt. "Dammit!" He swore. Sure enough the wound on Tieria's stomach had indeed reopened a bit. He carefully picked Tieria up off the ground.

"Neil," Allelujah said, "Should I bring Setsuna back to the medical room or to his room?"

"Bring him to his room," Neil said, "I think he's well enough. Tieria on the other hand…"

* * *

Linda was rather surprised when Neil walked in to the medical room carrying Tieria.

"Neil, what happened?" She asked.

"The kid pushed himself too hard and because of it, the wound reopened." Neil said as he set Tieria down on one of the beds, "I don' think it's bad but you never know."

Linda nodded and lifted Tieria's shirt, "You're right," She said, "But it's not that bad. I'm going to stitch it back up and then I'm going to have you bring him to his room."

"Neil how is he?" Sumeragi asked as she entered the room.

"He wound reopened a bit," Linda said, "I just have to re-stitch it a bit then I'm going to have Neil bring him to his room. There's nothing more we can do for him here, all he needs now is time and rest to finish recovering."

Sumeragi sighed, "Why did I have to let him do that?" She asked, "He would be fine if I had refused!"

"You know how the kid is," Neil said, "If he wants to do something, he's going to do it, regardless. If you didn't consent he probably would have gone off without one of us helping him."

"I know," Sumeragi said, "I'm just worried about him."

"I'm worried about what my brother is going to do to him," Neil said, "It was Lyle who nearly shot him."

"If he does anything to Tieria, I will personally take him off of Cherudim and I'll have Destiny take over for him," Sumeragi said.

"Do it," Neil said, "I know I'm taking the leaf out of Tieria's book but I don't think my brother is fit to be a Gundam Meister."

"I never thought I hear that again," Sumeragi said, "But I'll keep him on the Cherudim for now. If there's a problem then I'll act as I see fit."

"I'm all set," Linda said as she finished securing a bandage around Tieria's stomach, "You can bring him to his room now. Just tell him to be careful when he wakes, I'm sure the new stitches will be a bit tender and sore."

Neil nodded lifted Tieria off of the bed and turned to leave the room. When he got to Tieria's room he sighed. He tried to avoid this room because he knew that there was a good chance that he would find Sumeragi crying on the bed again. But things were different now, Tieria was back with them.

"Ms. Sumeragi," He said softly in case Tieria was only asleep, "Will you pull the covers back please?"

"Sure," She said as she walked a head of Neil.

"Thanks," Neil said as he gently set Tieria down on the bed then pulled the covers over him.

"I have to get going," Sumeragi said, "I have to go give your brother a stern lecture about what he did today."

"Alright," Neil said, "I'll be here if you need me."

A few minutes after Sumeragi left Allelujah walked in, "Neil, how is he?" he asked.

"I think he's just asleep now," Neil said, "He just pushed himself too hard."

"Is it true?" Allelujah said, "Was he really with the enemy?"

"Yeah," Neil said, "So was Destiny."

"I find that hard to believe," Allelujah said, "To think that Tieria would side with the A-Laws…what if…"

"Tieria wasn't with the A-Laws," Neil said, "He was with a smaller group of people who were affiliated with the A-Laws but not necessarily a part of them. He was held there and forced to fight against his will."

"That's awful," Allelujah said, "I can relate to what he went through, I guess. I was held in a high security prison for four years I know how it feels."

"It was worse with Tieria."

Neil and Allelujah turned to the door and saw Setsuna and Feldt standing there, "Setsuna, what do you mean?" Allelujah asked.

"Tieria was captured by a man named Ribbons Alamark," Setsuna said, "He was locked in a closet when he wasn't being forced to fight in a mobile suit that Ribbons could take control of if Tieria tried to refuse to fight. He was given food but was unable to eat due to the tranquilizers they had him on."

"Where did you hear this?" Neil said, "Did Destiny tell you?"

"No," Setsuna said, "Tieria told me."

"When?" Neil asked. The only time that Tieria and Setsuna had seen each other had been when they met in the meeting room and both of them had passed out before they could really have a chance to talk to each other.

"A while ago," Setsuna said, "I met him at Proud and we talked a bit until he was forced to fight by that bastard that took him."

* * *

"_Setsuna F. Seiei…"_ _Tieria Erde's voice came through the communications line, "Is that…you…?"_

"_Tieria Erde," He called, "Why…why are you in an enemy mobile suit?"_

"_I was captured right after Operation Fallen Angels by a man named Ribbons Alamark." Tieria said, "I don't know where I'm being held but Setsuna, I hate it there. I'm being held in a room no bigger than a storage closet, I can't eat anything and I just want to be back with Celestial Being or dead. Please Setsuna…shoot me down, kill me before he can…"_

"_Tieria what are you saying!?" He yelled, "You're my comrade! I can't shoot you down! Sumeragi Li Noriega is waiting for you to return, it will kill her if I was to kill you."_

"_Setsuna…please…I would rather be killed by a comrade than…"_

_Then the line went quiet for a bit and before he could respond, Tieria started screaming in pain, "Tieria! Tieria Erde what's wrong!? Tieria respond!"_

"_Get…outta here…Setsuna…" Tieria gasped, "I'm…going…to…kill…you…if you…don't…I…I can't…I…can't…I can't control…my body…anymore…"_

"_Tieria! TIERIA ERDE!"_

* * *

"Oi Setsuna!" Neil called, "Setsuna!"

Setsuna snapped back to focus, "Sorry." He said.

"You've known that Tieria was alive since that incident at Proud?" Neil asked, "Why didn't you tell any of us?"

"I couldn't tell you that Tieria tried to kill me," Setsuna said, "Or that he asked me to kill him."

"What?!" Neil and Allelujah exclaimed.

"Tieria told me 'shoot me down, kill me before he can,'" Setsuna said, "How was I supposed to tell Sumeragi that I met Tieria on a battle field but he asked me to kill him?"

Allelujah and Neil fell silent. Neither of them knew what to say to Setsuna they would have never expected Tieria to say anything along those lines.

"Tieria's really changed a lot hasn't he?" Allelujah said finally breaking the thick silence in the room.

"You have no idea," Neil said, "I think it's safe to say that the Tieria we knew five years ago is gone. And it's both a good thing and a bad thing."

* * *

Several hours later Tieria started to come around to a light conversation amongst three people. He slowly opened his eyes and found Neil, Setsuna and Allelujah sitting near his bed. He went to sit up but gasped as a bolt of pain shot through his stomach.

"Tieria," Neil said as Tieria fell back against the pillows again clutching his stomach, "It might be a bit late to tell you but the wound on your stomach reopened and Linda had to re-stitch it so you might not to want to sit up for a while."

"Tieria," Allelujah said softly, "I'm…I…I want to apologize to you. I nearly shot you earlier, I don't know what I was thinking. But those things you said really bothered me."

"It wasn't me," Tieria said softly while looking away from his comrades. He knew that what he was about to say was going to sound like an excuse but he had to tell them anyway, "Ribbons Alamark had taken full control of my body. I had no control over what I said or did."

"What?" Allelujah exclaimed, "How is that possible?"

"I'm not human," Tieria said softly, "I'm an innovator…I was created by Veda and that's how Ribbons took control of me. He reopened my link to Veda and controlled me that way…I can understand if you're angry with me…I heard what had been said."

Allelujah was in shock. He had always known that Tieria was different but he wasn't expecting what the purple haired boy had told him, "You were created by Veda?" he asked.

"Destiny knows more about it," Tieria said, "A lot of information was kept from me. You would have to ask her."

"But hey the important thing is that the four original Meisters are back together," Neil said trying to lighten the mood, "Against the odds."

Setsuna and Allelujah both smiled lightly and nodded. "That's right," Allelujah said, "It doesn't matter what we've been doing, where we've been or what happened during the past four years."

Tieria smiled a bit but he was starting to get tired.

"Hey kid I…erk…we forgot to say something to you," Neil said, "Welcome home Tieria."

Tieria sighed and smiled, "Thanks," He said, "It's good to be back…ugh…"

"What's wrong?" Setsuna asked, "Are you in pain?"

"No" Tieria said softly, "I'm just really tired for some reason."

"We'll let you sleep then," Neil said, "We can continue our chat later, when you're feeling better."

Tieria nodded then shut his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Allelujah sighed, "I feel bad for him," he said, "He was always so delicate, why did he have to be the worst off of all of us for the past four years?"

Neil sighed, "Everything happens for a reason," he said, "I'm sure there was some reason why Tieria went through hell for four years. Even if that reason doesn't show itself for a while eventually we'll find out why Tieria went through what he went through."

Allelujah nodded then turned to leave the room, "Do you want me to bring you anything to eat?" he asked.

"Nah," Neil said, "I'm good."

"What about something for Tieria?" Allelujah asked.

"I think Tieria's on a special diet for now," Neil said, "Ms. Linda is in charge of his meals."

"Okay," Allelujah said as he walked from the room leaving only Setsuna and Neil.

"So you knew that he was alive," Neil said, "You were right in not telling Ms. Sumeragi about it him. She wouldn't have taken the news well. Now the question is will he be able to pilot again?"

"He will," Setsuna said, "Tieria may be delicate, but he's not weak. He'll pilot again, he'll do everything in his power to make sure he can pilot again."

"I'll hold you to that Setsuna," Neil said as the boy turned to leave the room.

"Call me when he wakes," Setsuna said, "I want to talk to him."

"Alrighty Setsuna," Neil said as the other Meister left the room as well. He sighed as the door closed, "He's right," he said softly as he placed his hand on Tieria's forehead, "You're not weak, you'll pull through. I know you will."

* * *

So no one was shot, that's a good thing Feldt was a bit traumatized but she'll be okay. Setsuna and Tieria both pushed themselves too hard and both passed out, does that surprise anyone here? And I just realized just how awful I am to Lyle…seriously I don't know why I portray him like that but I do…Oh well it adds to the story. So it looks like Allelujah and Setsuna both forgive Tieria but what about Lyle? What is he going to do and is Sumeragi going to take him off Cherudim? Until next time minna-san! :3

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	8. Some Things Never Change

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with a new chapter! Yay another done-during-a-lecture chapter. Now I'm kinda glad that the class is boring I get nothing done in the class but I get a lot of writing done! I don't have any thing to say about this chapter so you can start reading (reading the disclaimer is optional though)

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Eight: Some Things Never Change

The next time Tieria woke up he found that the lights in his room had gone off and Neil had fallen asleep at his desk. He slowly attempted to sit up and found that his stomach wasn't nearly as painful as it had been earlier.

"Neil," he called, "Neil, wake up."

"Eh, what is it?" Neil said groggily as he lifted his head, "Who's there?"

Tieria sighed and shook his head, "Some things never change," he said.

Neil looked over at the bed, "Tieria, you're awake," He said, "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm getting rather fed up with that question," Tieria said, "I'm awake so that must mean that yes, I am feeling better."

"That's great," Neil said still groggy, "Do you need anything?"

"I'm kind of hungry," Tieria said. In all actuality, he was absolutely starving. The tranquilizers that had been suppressing his hunger had long worn off. But he knew that from not eating much in months, if he tried to eat a fully portioned meal, he would end up sick.

"That's great," Neil said, "I'll call Ms. Linda."

After a few minutes, Linda and Sumeragi walked into the room.

"You're looking so much better, Tieria," Sumeragi said.

"Thank you," Tieria said, "I'm feeling much better."

"Neil told us that you were hungry," Linda said, "That's really good. It means that we can hopefully get you back on normal eating habits."

Tieria nodded as a small tray of food was placed on his lap. The tray consisted of a small bowl of soup and what looked like chocolate milk. "Is this chocolate milk?" Tieria asked.

"No," Linda said, "It's soymilk and it also has supplements in it to help you gain weight so you need to finish it."

Tieria nodded and took a sip. To his surprise it was surprisingly good but it could have just been from not eating in so long.

"Eat slowly," Sumeragi said, "You'll make yourself sick if you eat to fast."

Tieria nodded. He understood that but it would also be difficult to do. When he had finished about three fourths of the soup he finished the drink and handed the tray off to Sumeragi, "Thank you," He said. He was feeling uncomfortably full and slightly nauseous but he kind of expected that. He wasn't used to being able to eat, "Am I allowed to walk around if I want to?"

Sumeragi and Linda looked at each other, "I don't see why not, it might help to speed the healing process," Linda said, "Just don't over do it. If you need anything else, just let us know."

Tieria nodded as Sumeragi and Linda left. "Have things changed much?" he asked.

"It was a little weird when it was just me here," Neil said, "But once Setsuna finally returned it was a little better. Until the kid tracked down my brother and dragged him here, nearly kicking and screaming mind you, then it was just awkward. Lyle and I hadn't seen each other since our parents' and sister's funeral. Then when we broke Allelujah out of prison it was a little less awkward. But it was odd without you around. We kinda needed that harsh little push in the right direction you were always good for."

Tieria scoffed, "Why?" he asked, "What did Setsuna do?"

"Why do you assume that it's always him? Well, he found out that Marina Ismail was in the same prison complex that Allelujah was being held in," Neil said, "So what does he do? He rescues her and brings on the ship."

Tieria shook his head sighing, "What are we going to do with him?" He asked.

"Keep him around," Neil said, "We don't have a choice. As long as Gundam's around, that kid's staying put."

"How did you survive?" Tieria said.

"I'm not sure," Neil said, "But it doesn't matter. I could be asking you the same question." He paused, "Oh right Setsuna wanted to talk to you, hold on, I'll call him."

"Don't bother," Tieria said, "I want to take a walk."

Neil nodded, "Do you need any help?" He asked.

"No," Tieria said, "I'll be fine." He slowly went to stand up. He was met with a bit of stiffness and pain but it wasn't unbearable like it had been the last time.

"So where do you want to go?" Neil asked.

"Well you said that Setsuna wanted to talk to me," Tieria said, "And I want to see the Gundams."

"Okay," Neil said, "We can do that."

* * *

Setsuna was rather surprised when Tieria and Neil showed up at the door to his room.

"Tieria, are you sure you should be walking around so soon?" Setsuna asked.

"Linda and Sumeragi both said that it was alright for me to be up and about," Tieria said, "They said that it would speed the healing process a bit. Neil said you wanted to talk to me."

"It's about what you asked me to do at Proud," Setsuna said, "Taking your life would not have been something I could have done. It's true that you were at the time an enemy and you were threatening to kill me but I knew that you would have never pulled the trigger to end my life. And we needed you to return here alive, we can't operate with only three Gundams."

"Setsuna…" Tieria muttered, "Thank you. I don't know what I was thinking when I asked you that."

"You were suffering Tieria," Neil interjected, "And you were desperate to have it end. Don't worry about it anymore, you're back with us and that's all that matters now."

Tieria nodded, "Thanks," He muttered.

"Are you alright?" Setsuna asked.

"Yeah," Tieria said, "I just have a lot on my mind." He was still feeling kind of sick from eating but he didn't want the others to know.

"Hey," Neil said, "You still want to see the Gundams right? We should do that before you get too tired to. Plus Ian's been dying to tell you how your Gundams work."

"Gundams?" Tieria asked, "As in more than one?"

"Oops," Neil said sheepishly, "Yeah you have two Gundams again. But it's a different set up from the Virtue and Nadleeh. Ian and Sumeragi didn't like how that one worked out, especially after Ian managed to dig up Nadleeh's mission record from its last mission.

Tieria sighed. He remembered how disastrous that mission had gone and just how weak the Nadleeh's defense was. He remembered how every shot the Nadleeh took felt like someone smashing him in the back and chest with a bat. He hadn't lasted very long in that battle, he had lost consciousness after about half an hour due to severe injuries.

"Hey are you sure you're alright?" Neil asked, "You're not looking so hot right now Tieria."

"Sorry," Tieria said, "It's like I said, I have a lot on my mind."

"Alright," Neil said, "So do you want to go see the Gundams or not?"

"Yeah," Tieria said.

"Alright then," Neil said, "Let's get going then

* * *

Tieria was amazed when he entered the hangar. It was the only thing that had really changed about the ship. Instead of the individual containers that the first Ptolemaios had, the four Gundams were docked in the same place.

"Well here we are in hangar," Neil said, "The Orange Gundam is Allelujah's and it's called the Arios. The white and blue one is Setsuna's new fascination, The Double-0. The green one is piloted by my, oh so _charming _younger brother, The Cherudim. And the one in the back there is your Gundam, The Seravee. Oi Ian!" Lockon yelled, "Come out from where ever you're hiding! I've got someone here who wants to know more about his new Gundam!"

As if on cue, the mechanic popped out from behind one of the Gundams, "Well if it isn't Tieria Erde," He said, "You're a sight for sore eyes. It's good to have you back kid. I finally finished setting the GN-Drive to your Gundam and it's good to go, as long as you are." He paused, "Although it hasn't been tested yet but aside from that I don't think it will pose any problems. Once again you have two Gundams, but the second Gundam isn't concealed in the first. You see the two canons flanking the head?" Tieria nodded, "Those are the arms of the Seraphim Gundam. The Seraphim is more of a backpack to the Seravee. However like the Nadleeh it has both the GN-Drive and the cockpit but unlike the Nadleeh it has much better defensive power and it acts as the generator for the GN-Particles."

"So it's more practical than the Nadleeh?" Tieria asked.

"Don't you even try it Tieria Erde," Ian said, "Its armor is no thicker than the Nadleeh's was. You are _only_ to use the Seraphim on its own in a life or death situation. You try using in any other situation and Sumeragi will have your head. We've also installed the TRIAL system in the Seraphim."

"But Veda's no longer under our control," Tieria said, "It will be useless."

"We were hoping that you would try to get her back for us," Ian said, "You're the only one who can do it so, we're counting on you."

"Okay, I see how it is," Tieria said, "Who cares about getting Tieria Erde back for the sake of having all the Meisters again. We just want him to get Veda back for us."

Ian stared at a smirking Tieria while Neil laughed hysterically, "Holy shit you've changed…" Tieria smiled and laughed a bit while Neil collapsed to the ground laughing two times harder. "What the hell is so funny?"

"Tieria…that was…the best thing…I have ever…heard you say…" Neil said in between almost uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Ian sighed and put his hand on Tieria's shoulder, "It's good to have you back, kid," He said, "Welcome back."

"Thank you," Tieria said, "It's good to be back."

"So when do you think you'll be able to pilot again?" Ian said, "I really wanna see this Gundam in action."

"In a week or so," Tieria said, "Once the wound on my stomach seals completely."

"I see," Ian said, "Sumeragi came up with a good idea. She wants to add your little girlfriend there as a secondary pilot for your Gundam."

Now it was Tieria's turn to stare in disbelief as Ian smirked and Neil, who had finally gotten to his feet, continued to laugh hysterically. Tieria raised an eyebrow, "My little _girlfriend_?" he asked. Ian laughed to himself and Neil doubled over again. Tieria sighed, "You two haven't changed a bit. Neil I still want to head to the bridge."

Neil stood up and composed himself, "Alright," he said as he stood up, "Come on then."

* * *

Tieria found that the bridge hadn't really changed much at all. Aside from a few new faces there hadn't been much of a change.

"Sumeragi," Tieria said,

The tactical forecaster turned and so did the other people in the bridge, "I figured it was only a matter of time before you came here," She said, "Are you in pain at all?"

"No," Tieria said, "I'm a bit tired but I'm not in any pain."

"That's good," Sumeragi said, "Are you feeling sick at all?"

Tieria shook his head, "Where's Destiny?" he asked.

"I think she's in the kitchen, helping Allelujah with supper." Sumeragi said, "Oh before I forget, we have a few new crew members we want you to meet." She indicated a young girl with brown braids, "This is Mileina Vashti, she took over for Christina," She indicated a teenaged boy at the helm, "This is Saji Crossroads, he's a fill in helmsman."

"I'm only temporary," Saji said, "I won't be staying. I'll be leaving when we get to Katharon's base."

An alarm then sounded, "Sumeragi," Feldt said, "The E-sensor is picking up several enemy mobile suits."

"Lyle, Setsuna, Allelujah," Sumeragi called, "Report to your Gundams and remain on stand-by."

"Can I sortie as well?" Tieria asked.

"What?" Sumeragi said, "Tieria…your stomach hasn't healed completely. It's still too soon."

"Please," Tieria said, "Let my sortie, I'll be alright."

Sumeragi sighed, "Alright," She said, "Hurry up. Neil, help him if he needs it then head to the assault container."

"Alright," Neil said, "Come on Tieria."

* * *

Neil sighed as he saw Tieria off. He knew that Tieria was pushing himself far too hard. He could tell that Tieria's stomach was still bothering him. //I hope he's alright// Neil thought, //the kid needs to take it easy for a while, but…he's a little workaholic telling him to take it easy isn't going to end well//

"He'll be fine," A female voice said, "I've seen him sortie in worse condition. Granted he passed out shortly after he returned, but he should be fine."

"Yeah I know," Neil said, "I too have seen the kid sortie in terrible shape and come back alive but barely conscious."

* * *

Tieria found it almost difficult to pilot the Gundam. He had been using another type of mobile suit for so long he had nearly forgotten how to pilot a Gundam. He watched as Allelujah went after a Custom Ahead while another custom mobile suit went after Setsuna.

//Tieria just concentrate on the smaller units// Sumeragi called, //Don't go crazy//

Tieria nodded and started firing at some of the smaller mobile suits. His stomach was starting to hurt a bit more then it had been. He continued to watch as Setsuna clashed swords with what seemed to be, a very determined pilot.

//Tieria cover Allelujah// Neil called, //He's got someone on his six and his hands are full//

Tieria looked over at Allelujah and took out the mobile suit trying to shoot at his comrade.

//Thanks Tieria// Allelujah said.

Then just as it seemed as though they were winning, Setsuna's Gundam malfunctioned and crashed into the ocean they were fighting over. Then the suit that Allelujah had been battling the entire time and the Arios, crashed somewhere on one of the islands near the battlefield.

//They sent up their flair// Sumeragi said //Allelujah, Lyle retrieve the Double-0//

Then another voiced called out in a panic from the back round //Sumeragi-san! We've lost the Arios' signal!//

//What!?// Sumeragi exclaimed, //Tieria help Lyle retrieve the Double-0. Mileina start scanning the surrounding areas//

Tieria was in shock, Allelujah was missing. The four of them had just gotten back together and now one of them was missing.

//Oi you// Lyle called over the communicator, //Are you just gonna stay there or are you gonna get your ass over here and help me?//

Tieria was snapped from his gaze, "Sorry, Lyle," He muttered. His stomach was really starting to hurt and he just wanted to lie down for a while.

//Is that all you have to say for yourself?// Lyle sneered as Tieria helped retrieve the Double-0.

//Leave him alone// Neil called, //At least he didn't almost shoot you like you did to him//

//Stay out of this Neil// Lyle said, //It's none of your business//

//It is my business it's my best friend you're bashing there// Neil said //So shut the hell up//

* * *

After Tieria and Lyle had gotten the Double-0 back into the hangar, Tieria slowly and shakily left the cockpit of his Gundam.

"Hey, Tieria," Neil called as he ran up to him, "You did better than I thought you were going to do out there." He paused as Tieria stumbled a bit and would have fallen if Neil had been there, "Whoa, hey, take it easy." He sighed, "You pushed yourself too hard."

"But I need to help with the search mission," Tieria said softly, "We need to…find Allelujah…" He then slumped unconscious in Neil's arms.

"Sorry kid," Neil said as he picked Tieria up, "The only thing you need to do is rest."

* * *

Dammit he did it again. Tieria pushed himself far too hard and passed out…again. But at least he's feeling better, a lot better. Ian seemed excited to explain how Tieria's Gundam works and I loved his reaction to Tieria's comment. So what are they going to do with a Meister completely passed out a Meister without a Gundam and a Meister missing? That leaves the Meister with a stick up his ass (Sorry Lyle fans, I don't quite like him). How are they going to be to rescue Allelujah? Until next time, Minna-san!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	9. False Loyalties

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back with my third new chapter in three days! It's the end of the semester so I don't really have a lot of school work to do. So I don't have much to say about the chapter so you can get started.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Nine: False Loyalties

About half way to Tieria's room, Neil ran into Sumeragi and Destiny.

"Neil," Sumeragi said, "What happened? Is he alright?"

"Yeah," Neil said, "He just pushed himself a bit too hard. He should be fine once he rests a bit."

"Dammit," Sumeragi exclaimed, "I knew I shouldn't have let him sortie. Now what are we going to do about the situation that Allelujah is in? Tieria wore himself out and Setsuna managed to trash the Double-0 that leaves us with one Gundam."

"I could help," Destiny said, "You did say that you wanted to add me as a secondary pilot for Tieria's Gundam. I could help out if you need me to."

Neil and Sumeragi looked at each other, "That might just work," Sumeragi said she turned to Destiny, "Come on we have to go see Ian right away. I don't know how long it's going to take for the GN-Drive to take to a new pilot."

* * *

"Dammit Setsuna," Ian said, "I told you not use Trans-am!"

"You will be able to fix it right?" Setsuna asked, "I'll help if you need me to."

"You've already done enough damage to this Gundam for one day," Ian said, "I'll deal with it."

"Ian," Sumeragi called as she entered the hangar, "How long will it take for you to program Destiny into the Seravee's GN-Drive?"

"It depends," Ian said, "Why?"

"We need her to help out with the rescue mission," Sumeragi said, "Tieria's too tired to sortie again and we need someone besides Lyle out there."

"I'll see what I can do," Ian said, "Setsuna, I'm gonna need your help after all…Setsuna…Setsuna! Where the hell is that boy?"

"He's working on his Gundam," Neil said as he walked into the hangar, "Where else do you think he'd be?"

"Dammit," Ian said, "I told him _not _to do that! Eh, whatever, I don't have time to deal with that right now." He looked at Destiny, "Piloting a Gundam is a bit different then piloting whatever type of mobile suit you're used to."

"I understand," Destiny said.

"There's also a chance that the GN-Drive won't take to another pilot," Ian said, "In which case, we're just going to have to wait until either Tieria's feeling better or I fix the Double-0." Destiny nodded, "Well get in, and I'll begin the start up."

Much to everyone's surprise, Destiny was able to get the Seravee to work with barely any reprogramming.

"How the hell did she pull that off?" Ian exclaimed, "It took four hours for the Cherudim's GN-Drive to take to Lyle, and he's Neil's identical twin! And yet the Seravee took to Destiny almost immediately!"

"Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Tieria and I are both Innovators," Destiny said as she exited the Seravee.

"I don't really know what happened," Ian said, "But now the Seravee will respond to both you and Tieria. He's still the main pilot but if something was to happen to him you could take over."

"I figured something like this was going to happen," Sumeragi said, "So I had a flight suit made for you." She handed Destiny a maroon flight suit and uniform, "I figured since Tieria's color is purple, your color could be maroon. Is that alright?"

"That's fine," Destiny said, "I'll get changed then I'll head out."

* * *

Destiny was in charge of the area where Allelujah had been seen last. She landed on one of the small islands in the area. She got out of the Gundam and started to walk around when her communicator went off. She read the message and sighed in relief.

"Oh good," She said, "They've found Allelujah-san."

"_That's good,"_ A familiar voice came, _"Tieria will be happy."_

Destiny looked up, "Regene, is that you?" She asked.

"Yes it is," Regene said, "And I'll have you know that I came here expecting Tieria. I wasn't expecting to see you piloting a Gundam."

"I know," Destiny said, "But Tieria-kun wasn't feeling very well so I came in his place."

"How is Tieria doing?" Regene asked as he walked over to Destiny, "He was in really bad shape when he left."

"He's doing a thousand times better," Destiny said, "but he's still really weak. Apparently Veda wanted him to sortie so he could activate the self-destruct mechanism."

Regene sighed, "I had a feeling that that was the case," He said, "There was no other explanation for why he wanted to sortie with such a fever. So what happened after he did that?"

"He was severely injured in the blast," Destiny said, "And he's still trying to recover from that injury."

"I see," Regene said, "Ribbons found out that the two of you are still alive. He's not happy about it but at the same time, I think that's what he wanted. He's planning something with the two of you."

"I figured that one out as well," Destiny said, "That's why I asked Veda to cut my link to her shortly after I was captured. But Tieria's link wasn't cut until much later and because of that Tieria was nearly killed by two of his comrades. Ribbons controlled him to pull a gun on one of his comrades." She paused, "How is everyone else taking our "death?""

Regene thought for a minute, "Revive's indifferent; Bring and Devine don't really care. Miracle is…well Miracle is Miracle. But Hilling's reaction caught me off guard. At first she was all happy and mocking the two of you but not too long after, Ribbons sent me to find her because she was absent at dinner. And I found her in her room crying when she noticed that I was in her door way she screamed at me to get out with the excuse that she was feeling sick.

"I wanted to ask her what was wrong but she was threatening to shoot me, so I didn't press the matter further." Regene said, "But as I was shutting her door I could have sworn I heard her mutter "Tieria." But like I said with my life on the line I didn't want to press the matter."

"Hilling's behavior always confused me," Destiny said, "It was as if some days she hated Tieria but then other days it seemed as though she was worried about him. Like the day or so after he got sick, she would pop into his room every hour or so, just to make sure he was still breathing, her words, not mine."

Regene sighed, "Well I have to get going," he said, "Ribbons is bound to notice my absence sooner or later," he said, "Tell Tieria that I said hello. And please avoid Ribbons at all cost."

"I'll try," Destiny said, "Take care Regene-kun."

"You too, Destiny," Regene said as he walked off into the thick brush.

* * *

Tieria woke up in a panic. The last thing he remembered was that Allelujah was missing and he needed to help with the rescue mission. He sat up and threw the covers of his bed back. He was about to get up when someone stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lockon asked.

"I'm going to help find Allelujah," Tieria said.

"Allelujah's already been found," Neil said, "My brother found him about an hour and a half ago and they've already retrieved him. Don't worry, just rest Tieria."

Tieria sighed, "How long have I been out for?" He asked.

"About five hours," Neil said, "You have no idea how worried Sumeragi is about you right now. How are you feeling?"

"I'm a bit tired," Tieria said, "But I'll live."

"Why did you want to sortie?" Neil asked, "You knew that you weren't exactly feeling up to it."

"I know," Tieria said, "But I wanted to help out with something."

"You could have come to the assault container with me," Neil said, "Then you could have helped with the rescue mission."

"But I need to get used to piloting a Gundam again," Tieria said, "I had some problems remembering how to do so."

"I never thought I'd see the day when our little Tieria Erde would forget how to pilot a Gundam," Neil said as he jokingly punched Tieria in the arm, "What happened to you, kid?"

Tieria smiled lightly as the door opened. "Oh good, you're awake," Sumeragi said as she entered the room, "You had me very worried, and as punishment, you're on bed rest for the remainder of the day and possibly tomorrow as well."

"And what is to happen if we're attacked," Tieria asked, "With the Double-0 out of commission for the time being and I'm sure Allelujah's Gundam was damaged what is going to happen with only one Gundam?"

"I'm a step ahead of you," Sumeragi said, "Destiny has been programmed into the Seravee as a secondary pilot. She will pilot your Gundam until you have recovered fully, Tieria Erde."

Tieria sighed, "Could I get something to eat?" he asked. He knew exactly how to distract Sumeragi and he hoped that it worked.

Sumeragi's expression softened, "Sure," She said, "Hold on I'll get Linda." She then left the room.

"You did that on purpose," Neil said, "You have been spending way too much time around me."

"What are you talking about?" Tieria asked, "I did that because I was hungry."

"Yeah, alright," Neil said, "I'll believe that the day Setsuna hates Gundam."

Tieria sighed as Sumeragi walked back into the room holding a tray of food, "Linda gave you a bit more this time," Sumeragi said, "She thinks that in a few more days you'll be able to eat a full meal. Don't over do it but don't be afraid to ask for more."

"Ms. Sumeragi," Neil asked, "Has Destiny gotten back yet?"

"No, she hasn't," Sumeragi said, "But I'm not really worried about it. She's probably having trouble adjusting to the Gundam." She turned towards Tieria, "I heard _someone _had a little trouble with it."

Tieria sighed, "It's different from the mobile suit I was piloting in the past four years," He said softly.

"That's understandable," Sumeragi said, "I'm not blaming you." She paused, "You did well out there today."

"Thank you," Tieria said as he started eating.

"_Sumeragi-san," _Mileina said, _"Wish-san returned."_

"Thank you Mileina," Sumeragi said, "I'll be there in a minute." She looked at Tieria, "Let me know if you want anymore."

He nodded and Sumeragi left the room.

* * *

Destiny was about to leave the hangar when she ran into Sumeragi.

"Sumeragi-san," She said.

"What do you think of the Gundam?" Sumeragi asked.

"It's a lot different," Destiny said, "I can see why it's such a formidable opponent."

"Not that it's my business, but what took you so long?" Sumeragi asked.

"I ran into one of my old comrades," She said, "He told me that Ribbons is planning to do something with Tieria-kun and I. And it worries me, even though the link between the two of us and Veda has been cut, I have a feeling that if he wants to, Ribbons can reopen that link at anytime."

Sumeragi sighed, "What should we do?" She asked.

"There's really nothing we can do," Destiny said, "Keeping the two of us away from combat is out of the question. We just have to hope that Veda doesn't give Ribbons that option."

"I can't see that happening," She said, "Veda is just a computer."

"I know that," Destiny said, "But it's because of her that you got Tieria-kun back. Veda told him to activate the self-destruct and she also limited the power of the blast so that he would survive it. Veda truly cares for her children, Tieria-kun and I are no exception."

"Veda's children?" Sumeragi asked.

"Yes," Destiny said, "Tieria and I are both Innovators. We were created by her." She paused, "And the rest of our old comrades are behind everything."

"What!?"

"Ribbons Alamark basically has the entire world at his control," Destiny said, "At least I think that's the case here, but I don't know for sure."

Sumeragi sighed, "If it is the case, will you be alright fighting against your subordinates?" she asked.

"I will have to be," Destiny said, "I have to fight for whatever side I'm on and as long as Tieria-kun is here then I'll remain here as well."

* * *

So, what do you think Ribbons is planning to do? And what is up with Hilling? Eventually I'll go into what the two of them are up to, but that will be a while from now so hang tight. This will probably remain slightly AU but in cannon if that's possible. I keeping the same plot line but I'm changing things here and there, obviously. Well until next time Minna-san!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	10. Feverish Terror

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I apologize for the wait, I was less productive than I wanted to be during the vacation. But it happens. So I have a little warning for this chapter, it's a bit more graphic then any of my other chapters have been. And the extremely squeamish should probably skip the section in italics. But aside from that, I'll let you get started.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Ten: Feverish Terror

Sumeragi sighed as the girl left the hangar. What Destiny said frightened her a bit. She finally understood why Tieria pulled a gun on Neil and why he said the things that he had and it frightened her. //Is it really possible for someone to control Tieria that easily?// She thought, //What do I do about it? I need him to fight, but he's already attacked his comrades twice…can I really trust him?//

"Sumeragi Li Noriega," a voice called pulling her out of her thoughts, "What's wrong?"

"I'm just wondering about what Destiny said," She said, "Knowing that this Ribbons person is able to take full control of Tieria's body and mind, I wondering if it's safe to trust him in a Gundam."

"Tieria Erde would never hurt one of us," Setsuna said, "Even if he was being controlled he would never pull the trigger to kill any of us."

"How can you be so sure, Setsuna?" Sumeragi asked. She knew that it was ridiculous to think that Tieria would ever do anything to hurt any of them, but there was that minute possibility that it could happen.

"Because I have fought against him twice," Setsuna said, "And both times, despite being completely controlled, he never hit me. The shots he fired at me always missed. Despite fighting for the enemy for four years, Tieria never betrayed us. He was captured right after Fallen Angels and he was unconscious and severely injured when he was taken so he didn't have a say in the matter. Think about it Sumeragi Li Noriega, would Tieria Erde willingly defect Celestial Being?"

Sumeragi sighed, "I guess you're right," She said, "I was being stupid, I'm sorry for bothering you Setsuna."

"No, you were being cautious," Setsuna said as he walked back to his Gundam to continue the repairs.

Sumeragi sighed and headed to her room so she could indulge in a nice stiff drink.

* * *

After Destiny changed into the uniform that Sumeragi had given her, she headed to Tieria's room. She wanted to tell him what Regene had told her. When she entered Tieria's room she found him sitting against the wall reading a book.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as he looked up.

"I'm tired but alright," He said, "Although I am getting rather fed up with hearing that question. What do you think of the Gundam?"

"It's very different," She said as she sat down next to Tieria, "But it's so much faster than the Mobile Suit that I was used to. What are you reading?"

"Just one of the books that I had from four years ago," he said as he marked his page then put it down.

"I see," She said, "I ran into Regene-kun out there today."

"Did you?" Tieria asked, "What did he say? I take it that Ribbons found out that we survived."

"Yeah," Destiny said, "Ribbons found out but Gene-kun said that Ribbons isn't angry about it. He thinks that that bastard is planning something with us, we have to be careful Tieria-kun."

"I know," Tieria said softly, "I don't want to hurt anymore of my comrades."

Before Destiny could respond, the door opened and a young woman with long sliver hair walked in, "I'm sorry," She said, "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No, you're not," Destiny said, "What do you need."

"Vashti-san asked me to bring this to Tieria-san," She said as she held up a tray.

Tieria looked at the woman standing in the door way, "You're Lieutenant Soma Peries, aren't you?" He asked as his eyes narrowed a bit.

The woman recoiled a bit, "I am," She said softly, "However, I'm like Allelujah, I have another personality."

"Another personality?" Tieria asked, "So you mean that like Allelujah Haptism, you also possess two entirely different personalities? Am I correct?"

"Yes you are," She said.

"So Soma is one of the personalities," Tieria said, "And who might you be?"

"My name is Marie Parfacy," She said, "I'll be helping out around here from now on. Vashti-san wants you to eat something and since you're on bed rest for the rest of the day, I volunteered to bring your meal to you."

"Thank you," Tieria said as he took the tray.

"Let me know if you need anything else," She said as she left the room.

"I take it Sumeragi-san wasn't happy with what you did earlier," Destiny said.

"No she's wasn't," Tieria said, "So as punishment I'm on bed rest for the remainder of the day."

"I'm not surprised," Destiny said, "Sumeragi was hesitant on letting you sortie anyway. But you really shouldn't push yourself so hard…you're lucky to be alive. If we had been pursuing any other Anti-Federation Organization, you would probably be dead…when I saw you after the explosion, I though you were dead. Why did you want to go out so bad?"

Tieria sighed as he finished his meal. "I feel as though I need to do something to make up for what I've done in the past four years," He said, "To go missing for four years then show up in an enemy Mobile Suit and then to injure and almost kill two of my comrades…I can't imagine them being able to trust me completely ever again."

"Neil-san, seems to trust you a lot," Destiny said, "Setsuna-san as well. When you went to talk to the others for the first time Setsuna-san stood up for you after you passed out."

"It's the other two I'm worried about," Tieria said, "Allelujah can be easily influenced and Neil's twin…He's the one I worried about the most. He nearly killed me the other day."

"Neil-san and Noriega-san were pissed though," Destiny said, "I don't think you have to worry about him. And as for Haptism-san, he seems very straight-forward and understanding I don't think you'll have to worry about him at all. But there's something I want to know, how do you know Lieutenant Peries?"

"I worked with her squadron once a few years ago," Tieria said, "Before that bastard started locking me up."

"I see," Destiny said, "Well, there are things I need to do so I'm going to leave you alone now. If you need anything, please just call me and I'll be right there. And I'm sure the same goes for Neil-san as well."

Tieria nodded as Destiny left the room. There was something about the girl that made Tieria more at ease. He didn't quite know what it was but it was almost as if he felt as though he could talk to her about anything. He then picked up the book the lay abandoned on his bed and continued reading until his oddly heavy fatigue took over.

_

* * *

He woke up feeling rather strange. It was almost as if something was off but he couldn't quite place it. He sat up and found that his stomach wasn't sore at all, which he found to be odd because it had been acting up lately. But perhaps he was on the mend so he didn't think anything of it. He found that there was a message on his communicator._

"_Tieria when you wake, please come to the briefing room," the message read, "We have some issues to address."_

_The message was signed Sumeragi so Tieria figured that they were just going to discuss when he would get back to fighting or the ever annoying subject of how he was feeling. He quickly got dressed, failing to realize that the laceration on his stomach was absent as well as any scar that would have been left and despite losing quite a bit of weight, his old uniform still fit him perfectly._

_When he entered the briefing room he found the members of the crew and Destiny, however Neil was absent._

"_Where's Neil?" He asked automatically._

"_What are you talking about Tieria?" Sumeragi asked, "Neil Dylandi's been dead for nearly five years."_

"_What!?" He exclaimed, "But…he was just here yesterday…he was here…talking to me…"_

"_It must have been a dream," Sumeragi said, "Neil's dead and has been dead for five years."_

"_That…that can't be true…" Tieria gasped, "Neil…can't be dead…"_

"_I wish I could tell you that Neil is still alive, but he's not," Sumeragi said, "Well, now that that's over we have an issue to address. The rest of the crew and I have come to the decision that you're no longer needed here."_

_Tieria's eyes widened as those words resonated in his head, causing him to feel almost faint, "What…!?"_

"_Celestial Being no longer requires your services," Sumeragi said, "You are being let go."_

"_But…Why…?" Tieria asked in shock. He didn't want to believe any of what he was hearing, he just didn't and yet it was happening. He sighed and tried to muster up the strength to ask the words that had form at his lips but refused to come out, "Where am I to go?" he asked as tears obscured his vision. "There's no where for me to go…what are you going to do with me?"_

"_You're not going anywhere," Setsuna said as he drew his gun, "As you know, all of our secrets and our identities are under S-level confidentiality. We've come to the conclusion that we can't allow you to live knowing what you know."_

_Those words struck Tieria harder than any bullet could have. He was going to die at the hands of his comrades! He was now torn between grabbing his own gun and attempting to defend himself or making a run for it. But he knew the likelihood of him having a firearm in his possession was slim and knowing Sumeragi, the door was locked to prevent him from escaping. He went to reach for where his gun would be kept._

"_Don't you dare!" Setsuna yelled as he pulled the trigger._

_Tieria heard the shot then sank to his knees as the bullet penetrated his skin, his muscle then exited through the center of his back, shattering vertebrae and severing his spinal cord in the process. He knew that this kind of gunshot wound was fatal and that he would either suffocate on the blood that was surging to the back of his throat or bleed to death. But one thing was certain, he was dying and no amount of regenerative medicine would save him. _

_Tears flooded his eyes as the rest of the crew stepped over him and the growing pool of blood that he was lying in. While Lasse, Feldt, Mileina and Ian left, Destiny, the Meisters and Sumeragi remained. //This can't be happening// he thought as his eye sight grew dim. There was nothing he could do. Despite being shot in the lower back, he was completely paralyzed, the only thing he could do now was lie there and wait for death to come. //Why…would they do this…// he thought as his lungs refused to take in anymore oxygen, //Setsuna…why…//_

* * *

Tieria wasn't sure if it was the loud bang that was caused by a Haro out in the hall, the pain in his stomach or the sheer terror he felt from the nightmare he had experienced that had woken him. He was shaking uncontrollably, his breathing was heavy and he felt extremely sick. He went to sit up and he was met with an incredible pain in his stomach and as he fell back against his bed a deep red stain on his shirt caught his attention.

"Des…D-Destiny…" He gasped, "Destiny…!"

"_What's wrong, Tieria?" _Destiny asked after about a minute or so.

"Destiny…I…I think I…was shot…" Tieria gasped. He couldn't breathe and he was panicking.

"_What!?" _Destiny cried, _"Tieria, are you sure?"_

"Please…help me," Tieria gasped, "Neil…where's Neil…Destiny…please…"

"_Alright," _Destiny said, _"Hold on Tieria, I'll be right there."_

Tieria sighed as he tried to calm himself down.

* * *

Neil was rather surprised when Destiny woke him.

"What is it?" Neil asked as he replaced his eye patch.

"I don't know," Destiny said, "But Tieria called me in a panic a few minutes ago asking for you."

"Alright," Neil said as he sat up, "He probably had a nightmare again."

"That's what I was thinking," Destiny said, "But he called me saying that he had been shot."

"What!?" Neil cried as he quickly got out of bed, "I swear, if it's my brother again I'll kill him!"

* * *

Tieria was relieved when Neil and Destiny walked into his room.

"Tieria, what's wrong?" Destiny asked as she walked up to the bed.

"Setsuna…shot me…" Tieria gasped.

"What!?" Neil cried, "Setsuna shot you? Are you sure?"

"He shot me…in the stomach…" Tieria muttered.

Destiny and Neil looked at each other. They both knew that Tieria's mind was still on the nightmare because there was no gunshot wound or massive bleeding that would come with getting shot in the stomach, "Tieria…" Neil said, "There's no gunshot wound."

"How…is that…possible…?" Tieria asked, "I…was shot…"

Neil sighed as he carefully lifted Tieria's shirt, "No you weren't," he said, "You've popped a few of the stitches. Hold on, I'll go get Ms. Sumeragi and Ms. Vashti."

"NO!" Tieria cried, "Don't get Sumeragi…don't…please…She doesn't want me here, she's going to dismiss me..."

"Tieria…" Neil said as he placed his hand on Tieria's forehead only to pull it away almost immediately, "Destiny, he's burning up."

"What?" She asked as she too placed her hand on Tieria's hot forehead, "Oh god…he is…Tieria, we don't have a choice but to get Noriega-san, you're very sick right now and she can help you. It was a dream okay? She's not going to dismiss you, she's already told me that she needs you to fight for her. Please Tieria-kun, this is really serious."

"Are…you sure she's not going to dismiss me…?" Tieria asked.

"Positive," Destiny said, "Can we get Noriega-san now?"

Tieria nodded, "Destiny…I don't feel well…" He moaned.

"You have a very high fever right now," She said, "Try to relax a bit. Neil-san, will you go get Noriega-san?"

"Alright," Neil said as he left the room. He was hoping that Tieria's condition wasn't too bad. The boy was strong, but he could only take so much.

* * *

Sumeragi was rudely woken up when the lights in her room were turned on without warning.

"What's going on!" She yelled as she looked towards the door and saw Neil standing there, "Neil what are you doing? If you had a nightmare find someone else's bed to sleep in, I'm not your mother!"

"Oi," Neil said, "What was that all about? This is no time to be joking, we have an emergency on our hands!"

"What's wrong?" She asked as she sat up, "I didn't mean that, I had a dream where you wanted to sleep in my bed because you had a nightmare. What do you want?"

"Tieria had a nightmare," Neil said.

Sumeragi sighed, "That's not really an emergency Neil," She said, "Tieria suffers from nightmares all the time. Is he alright?"

"Not at all," Neil said, "He managed to pop at least two of the newer stitches…and he's burning up."

Sumeragi gasped. Her worst nightmare was coming true. She had been keeping her fingers crossed that something like this wasn't going to happen but it seemed as thought it was. "How high is his fever?" She asked.

"I don't know," Neil said, "But it's up there."

"Dammit," Sumeragi swore, "The last thing Tieria needs now is an infection."

"We may have caught it early," Neil said, "Because he wasn't feverish yesterday."

"Let's hope so," Sumeragi said, "I'll call Linda."

* * *

I know, I'm evil but I kinda like torturing Tieria. What's going to happen the next time Tieria sees Setsuna? Oh boy, that's gonna be interesting. Well, until next time Minna-san!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	11. Infectious Hallucinations

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back! Since I left the last chapter at such a cliffy I decided to get this chapter up as soon as I could. And just a little thing before I let you start reading, Tieria's a tiny bit (alright maybe a lot bit) out of character at the beginning but then again, just look at the state I've left him in from the last chapter…anyone would be acting out of character after that. Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Infectious Hallucinations

Destiny sighed as she tried to calm Tieria down. She had never seen him this way before and she made a mental note to ask either Neil or Sumeragi if Tieria had some kind of panic disorder. "Tieria-kun," She said softly as she ran her finger through his almost sweat soaked hair, "I need you to tell me what you were dreaming about."

"Setsuna shot me…" he muttered as he shook violently, "I was dying and everyone was watching as I died…Sumeragi dismissed me…and Neil was dead… and I wasn't allowed to live…knowing what I knew…"

"It's alright," Destiny said, "That's not going to happen. So just relax."

A few minutes later just as the violent tremors that Tieria had been experiencing had subsided, Sumeragi, Linda and Neil entered the room causing Tieria to once again start shaking uncontrollably.

Sumeragi walked up to the bed and placed her hand on Tieria's forehead. She sighed //This is bad// She thought, "Linda give me the thermometer, his fever is bad." Sumeragi said.

"I was expecting that," Linda said as she inspected the wound, "It's not that bad. He'll be fine after a day or so on antibiotics. He caught it early. How high is his fever?"

"Thirty-nine point five," Sumeragi said.

Linda nodded, "That doesn't surprise me," She said, "Please don't worry too much. Tieria-kun's fever is high however if it was serious it would be well above forty." Linda sighed to herself. She wasn't expecting Tieria's fever to be quite as high as it was based on the stage of the infection. //His fever should only be around thirty-eight point nine at the highest// She thought. She didn't bother telling Sumeragi, she was already stressed out enough, //He's still weak though, his high fever could be caused by that. I hope that's the case…//

"Sumeragi…" Tieria whispered, "Are you…going…to dismiss me…?"

"Tieria," Sumeragi said as she placed an ice pack on the boy's forehead, "Why would I dismiss you? I need you to fight for me. Don't worry about that now, just rest, you'll feel better."

"You're not…going to…dismiss me…?" He asked.

"No Tieria," She said, "I promise. Now get some sleep." She sighed, "Linda, how does it look?"

"Not bad," Linda said as she dabbed a cream like substance on a gauze pad, "Like I said we caught it early, so it's still local. Tieria-kun, I'm sorry but this might burn a bit." She then carefully pressed the pad to the boy's stomach.

Tieria gasped in pain. His stomach was already painful to begin with and the burning and pressure only made it unbearable. And if he had the energy to do so, he would have been screaming. He wanted it all to stop but he was still terrified to go back to sleep, he didn't want to see those images again.

"All set," Linda said as she bandaged the wound, "All I need to do now is set up the IV. This will be the easy part Tieria-kun."

Linda was about to get the IV line in Tieria's arm when the boy pulled his arm away, causing the needle to cut his skin.

"Stop…"He gasped, "Don't…"

Sumeragi sighed. She had forgotten all about Tieria's fear of needles, "Tieria, Linda has to do this," She said softly, "If she doesn't, you'll get sicker. You need to let her do this. You're too sick for an oral antibiotic."

"No…" Tieria gasped.

"Neil," Sumeragi said. She hated making any of her crew members do anything that they didn't want to do however, sometimes it was necessary, "I need you to hold him down, just please don't hurt him."

Neil nodded and walked up to Tieria and grabbed the boy's arm, "I'm sorry Tieria," He said, "But the infection is going to kill you if we don't do this." He then restrained Tieria in a way so that he couldn't pull his arm away.

"Let me go…" Tieria gasped as he tried to struggle but was stopped by an extreme pain in his stomach, "Stop…please…Let me go…"

"No Tieria," Neil said, "You need this medicine."

* * *

Setsuna was rather confused when he walked into the residence hall. All of the lights were on. Normally the lights were off at three in the morning. So either something happened while he was finishing the repairs to his Gundam or someone forgot to turn off the lights. He was just about to enter his room when he heard muffled voices coming from Tieria's room. His curiosity got the better of him and he entered the older boy's room.

* * *

Linda and Neil were still having issues holding down the feverish and nearly hysterical Tieria down long enough to get the IV line into his arm when the door opened.

"Tieria," A voice called, "What's wrong?"

Tieria immediately stopped struggling. That voice struck fear in him, "No…" He gasped as the tremors returned and worsened ten-fold, "No…not you…please…no…don't kill me…"

"What?" Setsuna asked, "Tieria, why would I kill you?"

"Don't…kill me…" Tieria moaned, "I…won't tell…our secrets…please don't shoot me…"

Setsuna looked towards Destiny, "What's going on?" he asked. Tieria never acted like this. Tieria was always extremely stable so why was he so hysterical right now, what had happened to him?

"He had a nightmare where you shot and killed him," Destiny said softly so Tieria wouldn't hear, "He's not thinking very clearly. He developed an infection so he has a high fever."

"Setsuna," Neil called, "I need you to help me hold him down so we can get the IV line in his arm."

As Setsuna went over to go help Neil, Destiny continued to watch. And as she watched something happened and the scene changed. It was no longer Setsuna and Neil holding Tieria down, it was two faceless men in white lab coats. Linda wasn't the one working with the IV, it was a faceless dark-haired woman.

"Destiny," Sumeragi asked, "Is everything alright?"

Destiny knew that Sumeragi called her by her name however she could have sworn she heard the name Jori. She was about to asked Sumeragi who Jori was when the scene changed further. Tieria's gasps and weak please had been replaced by the piercing yet vaguely familiar screams of a young child.

She tried to shake the mental images her mind was conjuring up when one of the faceless men turned to face her.

"_Your bother is going to die Jori."_

Then the scene she was witnessing went black as she lost consciousness.

* * *

Sumeragi was concerned about the Destiny. She had been acting strange since Setsuna had entered the room.

"Destiny," Sumeragi said, "Is everything alright?"

Sumeragi bit her lip when the girl didn't respond. //Please don't tell me that she's being controlled// Sumeragi thought, //We don't need that right now//

"Sumeragi," Neil said as he turned around, "We got the IV in."

Then before Sumeragi could respond there was a dull thud from behind her.

"Destiny!" Neil called as he released Tieria and ran over to the collapsed girl, "Destiny, what's wrong?"

Tieria weakly looked over at the girl and instead of seeing the teenaged girl in Neil's arms, he saw a girl no older than thirteen in the arms of a faceless short-haired man. He shut his eyes quickly trying to shake the hallucination that was probably caused by the fever he was running however when he opened his eyes again the scene had not changed.

"Jo…Jori…" He called out weakly. Jori? Who was that? He had never uttered that name before in his life and yet he felt as though he had called that name countless times. "Jori…!"

Neil looked over at Tieria, "Tieria," he asked, "Who's Jori?"

"Where…where are you taking Jori…?" Tieria asked, "Stop…"

"Tieria," Neil said, "This is Destiny, not Jori."

"No, stop…" Tieria cried weakly, "Don't take my sister!"

Neil and Sumeragi looked at each other, "Tieria, what are you talking about?" Sumeragi asked.

Tieria never heard the question he heard something else.

"_Take her away. You're working him up too much."_

"No stop!" Tieria cried, "Don't take her away!"

"Neil," Sumeragi said softly, "Bring her to her room."

Neil nodded and Sumeragi walked up to the bed, "Calm down Tieria," She said. She knew that there was no point in trying to reason with Tieria at the moment, there was a good chance that he had no idea what he was talking about, "We're not going to take your sister away from you. We're just going to bring her to her room so she can get some rest. Is that alright?"

Tieria blinked and realized that Sumeragi was standing in front of him. "Sumeragi…?" He whispered, "When did…you get here?"

"I've been here the entire time," She said realizing that Tieria was once again attempting to think straight, "Tieria, who's Jori?"

"Jori?" Tieria whispered as he closed his eyes, "I don't know anyone by that name."

Sumeragi was about to protest but decided against it. With the condition that Tieria was in, he probably had no idea what he had been screaming about not even five minutes prior. "That's fine," Sumeragi said, "Linda is he all set?"

"Yes," Linda said, "Do you need me to check on Destiny?"

"You can if you want to," Sumeragi said as Neil reentered the room, "But I'm not sure that will be necessary."

Linda nodded and left the room.

"Setsuna," Sumeragi said, "You're free to go. Thank you for your help."

Setsuna nodded, "Keep me updated on his condition." He said.

"We will," Neil said, "Destiny will be fine. She's suffering from some kind of mental trauma."

"I wonder what happened to her," Sumeragi wondered a loud.

"I'm sure she'll tell us when she wakes up," Neil said as he turned to Tieria, "Tieria, go back to sleep, you'll feel better."

"I can't," Tieria whispered, "I'll have that dream again…"

Neil sighed, "I'll be back," he said as he left the room.

"Tieria," Sumeragi said, "What were you dreaming about?"

"I don't remember," Tieria said, "But…it frightened me…I don't want that to happen again."

"It's not going to happen again," Sumeragi said, "Tieria, you're not going to get better if you stay awake for the rest of the night. Please, get some sleep."

"Sumeragi," Tieria whispered as tears streamed down his face, "I don't want to."

Sumeragi sighed as Neil reentered the room, "Where did you go?" She asked.

"Just to get him something to drink," Neil said.

"But the-" Sumeragi didn't complete her sentence. Neil gave her the 'cut it out now' motion with his hand, "That's a good idea."

"Here Tieria," Neil said as he handed the small water bottle to the boy, "Try to drink it all."

Sumeragi looked at Neil and mouthed, "What did you put in the water?"

"A sleep aid," Neil mouthed back.

"Neil," Tieria muttered as she struggled to keep his eyes open, "Why…why can't I keep my…eyes…open…?"

"Because you're sick and your body is exhausted," Neil said, "Just close your eyes and don't worry about a thing."

Tieria nodded slightly and shut his eyes.

"Tieria…" Neil called after about three minutes, "I think it's safe to say he's not awake anymore. You can get to bed, I'll watch him for the rest of the night."

Sumeragi nodded, "Check his temperature every few hours or so," She said, "Good night Neil."

"Good night," Sumeragi said, "And thank you."

* * *

Destiny woke up rather disoriented. She remembered the vision she had witnessed but she didn't remember how she got to her room.

"Ah you're awake."

She sat up, "Neil-san," she said, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be watching Tieria-kun?"

"The kid's out cold," Neil said, "I slipped him a sleep aid. He's not going to wake up for a while."

"That's good," Destiny said, "How's he doing?"

"We got the IV line in just before you collapsed," Neil said, "He's on a powerful antibiotic so he should be fine in a day or so. He's still got a high fever but it's coming down."

"I'm glad," She said.

"What happened to you last night?" Neil asked.

"I'm not sure," Destiny said, "It was odd though, one minute it was you Setsuna-san and Vashti-san then the next it was two faceless men and a faceless woman. But the thing that disturbed me the most when towards the end one of the men turned around and said 'your brother is going to die Jori.' I don't understand any of it."

"Now that is odd," Neil said, "After you fainted Tieria kept crying out stuff like 'where are you taking my sister' and 'Stop don't take Jori?' Then five minutes later he had no clue who Jori was."

"So apparently the name does have some significance to the two of you," Neil said, "It's a shame you can't look into it."

"Even if I still had my link to Veda," Destiny said, "It's probably level seven information and Ribbons is the only person who has level seven privileges."

"I see," Neil said.

"What time is it anyway?" Destiny asked.

"It's about nine," Neil said, "So in other words breakfast time."

"Before we go to breakfast, I want to check on Tieria," Destiny said,

"Alright," Neil said as he turned for the door, "I'll let you get dressed then." He left the room then a few minutes later Destiny walked into the hallway in her maroon uniform, "That color looks good on you."

"Thanks," Destiny said as she headed across the hall to Tieria's room.

* * *

Destiny sighed as she placed her hand on Tieira's forehead. His skin was still rather warm and clammy and his face held a look of pain and discomfort.

"Destiny," Neil said, "Check his temperature."

Destiny picked up the scan thermometer and placed it on Tieria's forehead, "Thirty-eight point eight," She said, "What was it last time?"

"Thirty-nine point three," Neil said, "Linda will be happy his temperature has dropped a bit more than half a degree in just about six hours."

"That's really good," Destiny said softly.

* * *

"Mama," Mileina said as Destiny and Neil entered the room, "Where's Erde-san? You said yesterday that he would start eating normal meals with us today. So where is he?"

"He won't be coming to breakfast today," Destiny said softly.

"Eh, why?" Mileina asked, "Is he still worried about what everyone thinks about him?"

"No," Destiny said, "He's running a high fever from an infection."

Allelujah looked over at the girl, "No, way…" He gasped, "He's still really weak isn't he? He doesn't need this right now."

"We have him on a really powerful antibiotic right now," Neil said, "So he should be alright by tomorrow."

Allelujah sighed, "I know that Tieria was a strong person four years," He said, "But even then there was a limit as to what he could handle. Things must be so much harder for him now."

"I'm sure he'll be alright," Destiny said as she helped herself to breakfast, "His stomach wound is just about healed. He's still a strong person Haptism-san, if he wasn't he wouldn't have survived the past five years." She then looked towards Neil, "Neil-san, does Tieria-kun have some of panic disorder?"

"Why do you ask?" Neil asked in return.

"The way he was acting last night," She said, "He was displaying all the symptoms of a massive panic attack and I was just curious."

"Yeah he does," Neil said, "He probably has some kind of generalized panic disorder."

"Great, that's just what we need," Lyle said, "So not only does he have a homicidal alternate personality, he has a panic disorder. So I guess when he's killing us he'll be having a panic attack as well, wonderful."

"You had better watch your mouth!" Allelujah called. Normally it was Neil who was offended but this time Lyle managed to anger Allelujah, "That little thing Tieria pulled the other day is a far cry from a sign of an alternate personality. Trust me, I would know." He then walked off without another word, leaving a confused Marie to follow him.

"What the hell was that all about?" Lyle asked.

"I couldn't tell you," Neil said, "But just be thankful that Hallelujah isn't will us anymore."

"Who the hell is Hallelujah?" Lyle asked.

"A true homicidal alternate personality."

* * *

Tieria was rather confused when he woke up. First of all according to his watch it was eighteen hundred hours Greenwich Mean Time and secondly there was an IV line in his arm. And he just couldn't understand why he felt so sick either.

//What happened to me// he thought as he sat up as much as his strangely weak body would allow him to, //Why do I feel so weak?// He then hit the call button near his bed and waited. A few minutes later, Sumeragi, Linda and Destiny entered the room.

"Tieria," Sumeragi said with a smile, "You're awake, I'm so glad?"

"Sumeragi," Tieria said, "What happened to me? Why do I feel so sick?"

"You developed an infection," Sumeragi said, "You woke up with a high fever at around three in the morning after having a violent nightmare. Do you remember?"

Tieria thought for a minute then shook his head, "I don't remember anything of that manner," He said.

Sumeragi and Linda looked at each other and nodded as Linda mouthed "It's for the best."

Linda then placed her hand on Tieria's forehead, "He still has a fever Sumeragi," She said as she removed her hand then handed the thermometer to Tieria, "It's probably a bit higher than it's been but it's getting later."

"That's not bad is it?" Sumeragi asked as she bit her lip. The young pilot in front of her had gone through a lot in the past four years and she was extremely worried about him.

"No, it's not," Linda said, "It's completely fine. Fevers are always worse at night and while we've severely weakened the infection, he still has it." She then turned her attention to Tieria, who had just handed her the thermometer, "It's not that high either it's thirty-eight point eight."

Sumeragi nodded, "Are you hungry at all Tieria?" She asked knowing full well what the answer was going to be.

"No," Tieria answered. He was feeling quite nauseous and he didn't think that eating would be a good idea, "My stomach is sick and I would rather not eat anything."

"I'm not surprised," Sumeragi said, "The medication you're on makes everyone else nauseous, I'm surprised it didn't make you sick."

"He hasn't eaten in a little over twenty-four hours," Linda said, "And he was unconscious during the time it would have made him sick. Tieria-kun, I need you to lie down for me."

Tieria nodded and silently complied. He was glad to lie down, he was exhausted. Although he didn't quite understand that either, he had slept all day so why was he so tired? "Sumeragi," He said tiredly as Linda inspected the wound on his stomach, "Why am I so tired? I know the fever has something to do with it but I've slept all day."

"Neil slipped you a sleep aid this morning," Sumeragi said, "You wouldn't go back to sleep on your own this morning."

Tieria nodded and shut his eyes. He wanted to sleep but he wouldn't be able to until Linda and Sumeragi left because he knew that they were going to ask more questions about how he felt.

"Tieria-kun," Linda said as she began dabbing a cream-like substance on the wound, "Does this hurt at all?"

"There's some pressure," Tieria said softly, "But there's no pain."

"That's good," Linda said, "That means it's just about healed. Sumeragi, I think he's ready to resume normal activity. Tomorrow might be too soon, I can imagine he'll be weak but as soon as he feels strong enough." She looked at Tieria, "Just don't over do it."

Tieria nodded as Linda left the room.

"Do you need anything Tieria?" Sumeragi asked as she helped pull the covers over the boy.

Tieria shook his head. He just wanted to get back to sleep.

"Alright," She said as she headed for the door, "Sleep well Tieria."

"Tieria-kun," Destiny said as she approached the bed, "Are you up for a little chat?"

"Destiny," Tieria said tiredly, "Can we talk tomorrow? I'm exhausted, I'm not feeling well at all and I just want to get some sleep."

"I understand," Destiny said, "I didn't think you were going to want to talk anyway. I'll let you sleep. Call me if you need anything during the night."

Tieria nodded and finally slipped into a deep and very restful sleep.

* * *

So, it looks like Tieria's going to be okay after this chapter, the infection he was suffering from is just about gone so he'll be back to normal. And this time Lyle pissed off Allelujah and if Halle was still around, I think he would have ripped the Dylandi in half but whatever. And just what is the whole deal with this Jori person? Both Tieria and Destiny know the name so what does it mean? They'll figure it out eventually but until then the two of them can just be confused about it. Until next time Minna-san!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	12. Strengthening

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out but school got crazy and it's finally starting to calm down a bit (seeing that there's only three weeks left.) Well, I don't have some crazy long laundry list of things that need to be said so after you skip the disclaimer that's just there to be crazy annoying (F.Y.I crazy is my word of the month) you can get started.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Strengthening

Destiny sighed as she walked to breakfast. She had been up most of the night watching Tieria. She had been reluctant to leave him but Tieria's temperature was down to normal and she was rather hungry. She knew that he probably wouldn't wake up for a while so she decided that she could leave him alone.

* * *

Neil sighed when only Destiny entered the dinning room.

"Good morning Destiny," Neil said, "How's Tieria doing this morning?"

"Well his fever is finally down," Destiny said, "He didn't wake up during the night but he did sleep restlessly. I figured it would be fine to leave him alone while I got something to eat. I can't see him waking up anytime soon."

"I see," Neil said, "What time did his fever finally drop?"

"About four hours ago," Destiny said, "So around five."

"That's good," Neil said, "Eh, He'll wake up in a few hours and it will be like the last thirty hours never happened."

"Really?" Destiny asked, "He seems so weak."

"Tieria is a lot stronger than he looks and seems," Neil said, "He'll be fine."

"I hope so," Destiny said, "For some odd reason, I think I would be devastated if something bad was to happen to him."

"I think we all would be," Neil said, "Tieria is our little brother after all."

* * *

Tieria woke up in a fog. He wasn't feeling sick anymore but sleeping for over a full twenty-four hours threw him off completely. Before he sat up he placed his hand on his stomach and gently applied a bit of pressure. He had been doing this for days if he found the pain to be unbearable he would stay in bed until the pain subsided and if the pain was something he could handle then he would carefully go about his day. However for the first time in a while Tieria was able to sit up without any pain at all. At first he thought that it was another dream but then he realized just how hungry he was and decided that it was indeed reality.

He stood up and walked over to the desk where he found a neatly folded white and purple uniform and a note written by Feldt.

"_If you need the size adjusted let me know."_

Tieria sighed as he changed in to the uniform. It was a tad bit loose on him however to his surprise it was wearable. And for the first time since he had been held against his will, he got a look at himself in a mirror. The last time this had happened he was gaunt, and ashen, his garnet eyes had been dull and bloodshot and his posture had been extremely slack and slouched.

However he looked different now. He could no longer see the bones in his cheeks the way he could about a month ago and the color had returned to his face. His eyes had regained their sharpness and were clear and he was holding himself much taller and stronger. He was finally starting to feel more like he used to. He straightened out his jacket and left his room.

* * *

"Ano…Dylandi-san," Mileina said, "Is Erde-san coming to breakfast today?"

"I'm not sure," Neil answered, "He was sleeping pretty soundly when we left him alone. He may not wake up in time."

"Aw," Mileina whined, "That's disappointing."

"Vashti-chan," Destiny said, "Do you have a thing for Tieria-kun?"

Mileina's face turned beet red, "N-no," Mileina stuttered, "I just want to talk with him a bit. I don't know him well at all. I wanted to eat breakfast with him."

"You still have the opportunity to do that."

Mileina looked over at the door, "E-Erde-san!" She cried, "H-How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm feeling well this morning, thank you," Tieria said with a smile.

"That's great!" Mileina cried happily, "Come sit with me Erde-san!"

"Mileina…" Tieria muttered as he looked towards Neil.

"Eh don't worry about her," Neil said, "She's the daughter of Ian and Linda-san, she's completely harmless."

Tieria sighed. He had a hard time believing that the young girl in front of him was as harmless as Neil was making her out to be. //I highly doubt anyone directly related to Ian Vashti is capable of being harmless// He thought.

"_Yeah, I think you're right on that one," _Neil's voice resonated in his head, _"Millie-chan has a major thing for you."_

Tieria gasped in shock as he looked over at Neil, "How…?" He gasped.

Neil just shrugged, _"Who the hell knows." _ He replied.

"Oi Erde-san!" Mileina called as the small girl did the best she could to get in his face, "Are you gonna sit down or are you just gonna stand there with that dumb look on your face?"

Tieria looked down at the girl, "Alright," He said as he glanced over at Neil one last time in a plea for help.

"Yay!" Mileina cried as she took Tieria by the hand and led him over to the table.

"Oi Millie-chan," Neil called, "Be careful with him!"

"I am being careful with him," Mileina said as she pushed him into the chair next to where she was sitting, "So," she said, "What do you want to eat?"

"I can get my food myself," Tieria said as he tried to stand up but was pushed down again by Mileina.

"No," She said, "I'll get it for you. What do you want?"

Tieria sighed, "I'll have what everyone else is having," Tieria said.

"Hai, I'll be right back!" Mileina cried happily.

Tieria sighed, "Is she always like this?"

"Yes and no," Neil said, "She's been dying to talk to you since we rescued you. But she's always this energetic." Tieria sighed, "Don't worry, she won't do anything."

"Ah Tieria," Sumeragi said as the door opened, "There you are. How are you feeling today?"

"I'm feeling well today," Tieria said.

"That's good," Sumeragi said, "Is your stomach bothering you at all?"

"No," Tieria said, "It doesn't hurt today."

"That's great," Sumeragi said, "Does your uniform fit alright?"

"It's a bit baggy but it's wearable," Tieria said.

"So it seems as though you're really feeling better," Sumeragi said, "You have no idea how glad that makes me."

"Erde-san!" Mileina cried as she entered the room again, "Here's your breakfast!"

"Thank you Mileina," Tieria said as he took the tray from the girl.

"What are you going to do today Erde-san?" Mileina asked.

"I'm probably going to do a bit of physical conditioning," Tieria said, "It's been a while since I was feeling strong enough to do so."

"Tieria are you sure that's a good idea right now?" Sumeragi said, "You just got over an infection. You're probably still weak from that."

"I'll take it easy," Tieria said, "But I need to build up my endurance again."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "But Neil and Destiny are going to chaperone you. I don't want you training alone yet." Tieria nodded as he started eating. "The others are all worried about you, you should pay then a visit."

"I will," Tieria said as he finished his breakfast. He knew not to eat all of it. This was his first full meal in quite some time and he knew that if he happened to overeat just a little bit he would end up back in bed with a severe stomachache.

"Are you all set, Erde-san?" Mileina asked, "You didn't really eat that much, you should try to eat all of your food."

"Millie-chan," Neil said, "Tieria still can't eat that much. He would end up sick again if he was to eat all of that. And I don't think he wants that."

"Oh, I see," Mileina said, "I understand. Well then good luck in your training then Erde-san."

"Thank you Mileina," Tieria said, "Sumeragi, do you have something I could change into to train?"

"There should be a pair of shorts in your room," Sumeragi said, "As well as a T-shirt similar to the outfit you used four years ago."

"Alright," Tieria said, "So I take it that there's also a pair of running sneakers in my room as well."

"Yup," Sumeragi said, "But please Tieria don't over do it. I don't want to find you unconscious in the medical room a few hours because you overdid it. Do you hear me? Your body is still weak and you need to take it easy."

"Don't worry," Tieria said, "I don't think Neil and Destiny will let me train too hard."

"Good," Sumeragi said, "I'll let you train then."

* * *

Destiny sighed as Tieria jogged another lap. He had been jogging for about fifteen minutes.

"He's got another five minutes before he has to stop," Neil said.

"I know," Destiny said, "How far has he run?"

"He's run nearly three and a half kilometers," Neil said.

"In just fifteen minutes?" Destiny asked, "That's incredible…"

"Yeah, Tieria's got a crazy endurance," Neil said, "My guess is he'll run another kilometer before his time limit is up."

"To run four and a half kilometers in twenty minutes…that's amazing," Destiny said.

"He used to be able to run almost six and a half kilometers in twenty minutes," Neil said, "But that was four years ago. None of us could outrun him. Tieria has always had an almost sickly, weak look to him but he's extremely athletic."

Destiny and Neil stood in silence for a few more minutes until a small alarm went off.

"Tieria," Destiny called, "The twenty minutes are up!"

Tieria nodded and started slowing his pace until he was briskly walking. "Am I allowed…a cool down period?" He called breathlessly.

Destiny and Neil looked at each other, "Five minutes," Destiny called, "But you'll have to wait and extra five minutes before you're allowed to start training again."

"That's fine…" Tieria called as he slowed his pace a bit more.

After a few minutes Tieria stopped next to Neil and Destiny. "How far did I run?" He asked.

"Four and a half kilometers," Neil said, "Not bad for someone who hasn't run like that in four years."

Tieria nodded as he took a sip of water.

"Are you tired at all?" Destiny asked.

"He just ran four and a half kilometers," Neil said, "What do you think?"

"I'm feeling alright," Tieria said, "Perhaps a bit tired. How long before I can run again?"

"About an hour," Destiny said.

Tieria sighed, "Please Destiny," he said, "Let me run for another twenty minutes."

"Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "Sumeragi wants you to take frequent breaks."

"Please Destiny," Tieria pleaded, "Just let me run for another twenty minutes. I have a lot on my mind just let me run for another…fifteen minutes."

"Tieria-kun…" Destiny said, "I can't." She then watched as Tieria once again opened his mouth to protest however this time the voice she heard was definitely not Tieria's voice.

"Please," A young child's voice said, "I'll be alright. Just let me go for another fifteen minutes."

Destiny nodded, "Alright," She said. She couldn't say no to the boy, "Just be careful."

"What was that all about?" Neil asked as Tieria started jogging again, "I thought we had an agreement that we would let Tieria run for twenty minutes have him take an hour break then let him run again." Destiny nodded, "So then why did you let him run again without a break?"

"I don't know," Destiny muttered. She couldn't explain the young boy's voice that she had heard, "I heard a child's voice come from Tieria-kun's mouth and for some reason I couldn't say no to the boy…It's hard to explain," She put her hand to her forehead, "I know his voice from somewhere but I don't know where."

"Destiny-chan," Neil asked, "Does your head hurt?"

"Yeah," Destiny said, "Just a little bit."

"You should go rest," Neil said, "I'll make sure the kid doesn't overwork himself."

"No," Destiny said, "I'm alright. I was up all night making sure Tieria-kun was alright."

"If you say so," Neil said.

The two then continued to watch in silence as Tieria continued to run.

* * *

Tieria had a lot on his mind as he ran. There was a lot he didn't understand and he needed to figure it all out before he stopped rinning.

//How was Neil able to hear my thoughts?// Tieria thought as he ran. //Why was I able to hear his voice in my head?// He wiped some of the sweat out of his eyes, //The only people who can do that are the Innovators. And…how did he survive anyway? Was Celestial Being able to find him after I was taken? But that doesn't make sense at all. Setsuna was in that area when the cannon on the GN-Arms exploded. He would have found Neil…I don't understand it at all//

"_Eh stop worrying about it will you?" _Neil's voice resonated in his head, _"Who cares how I survived? I don't even know myself so will ya stop dwelling on it?"_

//Neil!?// Tieria thought, //But…how can you hear me without quantum brainwaves?//

"_I don't know," _Neil answered, _"But who cares? So will you please stop worrying?"_

Tieria sighed. His head was starting to hurt again and he knew that he should probably stop running but he couldn't. He needed to keep running even if he didn't know what he was running from. But there something telling him to get stronger, some little voice in the back of his head telling him that he must become stronger if he wanted to live.

Then another voice resonated in his head. A voice that brought fear and dread to his entire being. It was the voice of a man who only brought him hell for nearly four years, _"Tieria Erde will never be strong enough for me to acknowledge him as one of us." _The voice said, _"He won't live long with Celestial Being and my only regret with sending him off to them is that he'll die at another pilot's hands before I am able to end his life with mine."_

Tieria gasped in shock as the voice he heard caused him to trip over his feet and fall to the floor. He then clutched his head and screamed.

* * *

Destiny and Neil both gasped as they saw Tieria fall to the floor.

"Tieria!" Neil cried out as Tieria started to scream, "Tieria what's wrong!?"

"Tieria-kun," Destiny called as she dropped to her knees next to Tieria, "Tieria-kun what's wrong?"

"He's in…my head…" Tieria gasped panting heavily, "He's in my head…"

"Who Tieria?" Neil asked as he too knelt down next to Tieria, "Is it that guy again?"

Tieria nodded as he tried to hold back the urge to vomit. "I heard…his voice…" he muttered, "He said…that I would never be strong enough…and that…he wanted to…kill me…"

"Don't listen to anything that bastard says Tieria," Neil said, "We're not going to let that bastard take you away from us."

"Thank you Neil," Tieria muttered.

"Come on," Neil said as he helped Tieria stand, "You're done working out for today I think."

Tieria nodded in compliance and leaned on Neil. He was feeling tired and weak. His legs hurt from running, his stomach hurt and his head hurt. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "I pushed myself too hard today…"

"Eh don't worry about it," Neil said, "We won't tell Ms. Sumeragi. What do you want to do right now?"

"I want to go to my room and lie down for a while," Tieria said softly.

"That's understandable," Neil said, "You worked hard today and you deserve to rest a bit. Hell, anyone who runs over five kilometers in under twenty-five minutes deserves to sleep a bit."

"I'm not going to sleep," Tieria said as they got to his room, "I just need to lie down for a while. I'll be alright in an hour or so. Tell Sumeragi that I'm alright."

"We will," Neil said, "Do you need anything else?"

"Yes," Tieria said, "Lock me in my room. Just incase he tries to possess me again. I'll call you when I want to be let out."

Destiny nodded. She knew what frightened Tieria the most and right now there was a possibility of that very thing happening. "We'll let you rest now."

Neil and Destiny left then locked Tieria in his room.

"What was that all about?" Neil asked, "Why did he want us to lock him in his room?"

"He thinks that Ribbons is going to possess him again," Destiny said, "And Tieria-kun's greatest fear is to bring harm onto his comrades. Just leave him alone for a while, he'll be alright."

"Alright," Neil said, "Well we should inform Ms. Sumeragi that Tieria is done training for today."

Destiny nodded and followed Neil away from Tieria's room.

* * *

Man he's stubborn! He just got over a high fever and an infection, did he _have _to train so hard? He ran five kilometers exactly without stopping (that's a little over three miles just so you know). So, I Ribbons _really _going to attack Tieria's mind was what he heard in his head just a memory? Eh, we'll find out eventually. So until next time minna-san!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	13. Disgusting Revelations

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I can't believe that it's been nearly two months since my last update! I am soo sorry. I've been crazy busy and I totally lost track of the time. Well anyways I don't have much to say about this now aside from the fact that some of the dialogue has been changed to accommodate the events of the story. So after that little necessity that I hate with a fiery burning passion, you can get started.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Disgusting Revelations

Tieria woke from an odd dream. He couldn't really see anything, he just heard people screaming. He could also hear a woman yelling in a desperate manner. "Reese, Jori grab Tieria and get out of here!" Tieria wasn't sure who the woman was or why she was calling his name. But it felt familiar, like he had experienced something like it before. He opened his eyes and sat up.

"Tieria, you're awake,"

Tieria looked over and found Sumeragi sitting in a chair near his bed, "Sumeragi,"

"Are you alright?" Sumeragi asked, "Neil and Destiny told me what happened."

"I'm alright," Tieria said.

"What exactly did happen to you?" Sumeragi asked.

"I heard Ribbons Alamark's voice in my head," Tieria said, "But I couldn't tell if it was just a memory or not. It sickened me Sumeragi," He said, "It really did. I didn't know if I was going to be possessed again...and I didn't know if he was going to make me attack one of you."

"It's alright Tieria," Sumeragi said as she placed her hand on the boy's shoulder.

"No, it's not," Tieria said, his voice shaking a bit, "Sumeragi, I don't know if he's going to make me kill one of you...and I don't want that to happen."

"It's not going to happen," Sumeragi said, "I promise you. We won't let him do that to you!" Tieria gave a weak smile, "Come on," Sumeragi said, "You must be hungry. We're just about to have supper."

Tieria nodded and stood up. His legs were stiff from running but he wasn't in pain at all, "I guess it would be a good idea," He said.

"Well come on," Sumeragi said.

* * *

Allelujah sighed when Tieria didn't show up for supper.

"Neil, is Tieria alright?" He asked, "I heard he came down for breakfast but then I didn't see him at all today."

"He's alright," Neil said, "His fever broke last night and the infection is gone. I'm sure he was still a little bit tired."

"That's really good," Allelujah said, "I've been really worried about him."

"We've all been really worried about him," Neil said as the door opened and Tieria and Sumeragi walked in, "Speak of the devil, look who decided to join us!"

"Tieria!" Allelujah called, "How are you?"

"I'm well thank you," Tieria said as he grabbed one of the remaining trays. He went to sit down when Lyle stood up and turned for the door.

"Oi," Neil called, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm sorry niisan," Lyle said as he picked up his tray, "But I can't eat with an enemy and a traitor. I'll take my leave."

"Do you think that I wanted to work for the enemy?" Tieria asked as he stood.

"How the hell should I know?" Lyle asked, "Seeing that you were with the enemy for four years, you must have submitted to them."

"I was captured when I was unconscious and severely injured," Tieria said as he began to raise his voice, "I didn't have much of a chance to resist my captors. It took me over three months to recover from the injuries I sustained." He paused, "Answer me this," He said darkly, "Do you think I enjoyed being locked up in a room no larger than a storage closet?" He started to raise his voice more, "Do you think I liked having to take orders from a man I didn't trust? Do you think I liked not being able to eat due to the tranquilizers that man pumped into me every night? Do you think I _enjoyed _piloting a mobile suit I wasn't used to and then forced to fight against an organization that I had been working for since 2302! Do you think I truly enjoyed that!"

"I don't know," Lyle said, "You were you having a grand old time blasting the hell outta the Double-0 that time. So you must have enjoyed it."

"I'LL TELL YOU HOW MUCH I ENJOYED IT!" Tieria roared, "I enjoyed it so damn much I activated the self-destruct mechanism on my mobile suit ever damn time I was forced to sortie! I pushed that goddamned button six damn times! Alright, SIX DAMN TIMES! And yet five out of the six times, nothing happened. And do you know why?" Lyle shook his head, he was beginning to regret his words, "Because Veda, the quantum processing unit that was once the backbone of our organization with no emotions, seems to have more of a heart than you do!"

Lyle gasped. He should have kept his mouth shut. He wasn't expecting that kind of reaction from Tieria. He turned towards the door and left without another word.

Tieria stood there until the door closed then sank to his knees trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. He had been holding that pent up anger for a while and he really didn't mean to let it all out on a comrade but he just couldn't help it. "I'm sorry you all had to witness that," He said softly, trying to keep his voice from shaking too much, "But...it was suffocating..."

Sumeragi knelt down next to Tieria, "You have every right to be upset," She said as she put her hand on the boy's shoulder, "After what you've been though I don't blame you for doing that. Don't worry about yelling in front of us," She said with a small smile, "We're used to it from you. Come on, let's eat!"

Tieria smiled weakly as he stood up and sat down next to Allelujah.

"Man kid, I never thought I'd hear you scream like that ever again," Neil said, "And it's kinda weird to hear you yell at someone else for a change. It seemed like you were always yelling at me for one thing or another."

"Well, you never were one for following the rules," Tieria said.

"Eh, that's true," Neil said.

Destiny smiled lightly. She had never seen Tieria act like this before and for some reason, it made her happy.

"Destiny," Tieria asked, "Is something wrong?"

Destiny looked up, "No," She said with a smile, "Everything's fine." She sighed, /I like this side of him/ She thought, /It's like he's a completely different person. He's kind of reminding me of someone I knew a long time ago...but I can't remember that person well at all/ She frowned a bit, /Could there be something wrong with my memory?/

"Destiny are you sure you're alright?" Tieria said, "You look upset."

"I'm just thinking about something," She said, "There's something that I need to discuss with you after supper."

Tieria nodded, "It's what you wanted to talk about last night isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah," She said, "I won't keep you from your friends long. There's just something that I've been wondering about."

Tieria nodded then went back to lightly conversing with his comrades.

* * *

After supper Destiny and Tieria returned to Tieria's room.

"What did you want to talk about?" Tieria asked.

"I want to talk about what happened the other night," Destiny said, "I ended up fainting just as they got the IV in your arm." She paused, "But before I did, everything changed. Neil-san and Seiei-san weren't holding you down, it was two faceless men that somehow I had seen before. I could also hear a child screaming, then...one of them turned around and said "You're bother is going to die, Jori." I don't know what it means. Do you have any ideas?"

Tieria sighed, "I wish I could help," He said, "But I don't have any ideas. Although I did have an odd dream earlier. There was a woman screaming my name. I've never heard her voice before and yet...it sounded so familiar."

Destiny sighed, "Just what does this all mean?" She asked, "The both of us have never heard the name Jori before and yet...it seems to have some connection to the two of us."

"I wish I still had my access rights," Tieria said, "I would look into it."

"I doubt you would find anything," Destiny said.

Tieria sighed and the two sat in silence until Sumeragi paged them.

_"I need the two of you to report to the briefing room." _She said, _"Something just came up."_

"We'll be right there," Tieria said.

* * *

Tieria and Destiny were the last two to enter the room, "What's going on?" Tieria asked as he stood next to Allelujah.

_"Ah Tieria Erde," _Wang Liu Mei's voice came, _"It's been a while, are you well?"_

"I am," Tieria said.

"That's good," She said, "I called you because I caught word of a private party that is being held where A-Laws leaders, who have not appeared in public, will be attending. I'll send one of my agents, then get back to you with the details after-"

"I will participate in that operation!" Tieria exclaimed.

"Tieria..." Allelujah gasped. He had never seen Tieria get so emotional over something.

"I want to see the real enemy with my own eyes," Tieria said.

Destiny sighed, /You already know who the real enemy is.../ She thought.

"It's possible that the enemy already know our identities," Lasse said.

"I'll provide back up then," Setsuna said.

"As will I," Destiny said. /Sorry Tieria...there's no way in hell I'm letting you go alone/

Sumeragi sighed, "I guess I have no choice," She said as she smirked, "But you'll have to follow my orders." Tieria sighed. The look on Sumeragi's face worried him a bit, "Come on, Tieria, we've got work to do."

"I'll be right there," He said. He walked up to Lyle, "Lyle, I owe you an apology. I took all my anger out on you and I shouldn't have done so. Can we call a truce? The four Meisters need to work cooperatively." He stuck his right hand out to the taller man.

Lyle looked at Tieria then his hand, "I'll have to think about it," He said, "I still don't know if you're being genuine or not." With that he ignored Tieria's hand and left the room leaving Tieria a little bit hurt.

"Are you coming Tieria?" Sumeragi asked softly as she made a mental note to lecture Lyle like he had never been lectured before.

* * *

Tieria was rather mortified when Sumeragi finally revealed what they would be wearing. Setsuna would be wearing a deep blue chauffeur's outfit, complete with a tall almost ridiculous looking hat. Destiny would be wearing a dark gray suit, with a navy blue shirt and a lighter blue tie. She would be wearing a short messy cyan blue wig to conceal her mid-length cyan blue hair. And he, he would be wearing a dress, a deep maroon full length dress.

"Sumeragi," he said, "You can't be serious..."

"I've been waiting a long time to use these," She said, "But should already be used to going undercover as a female."

Tieria sighed. "Let's not go there," he muttered. That "mission" had been a total disaster. All they managed to accomplish was annoying the girl they were supposed to be protecting and making utter fools of themselves. "So the only difference this time is I'm wearing a dress instead of a girl's school uniform?" He hoped that was going to be the case.

Sumeragi smirked, "Our situation is different now," She said as she pulled something else out of the closet, "You'll be needing this." She pulled out a long wig that was exactly the same shade of vivid purple that his hair was. "Hey, you wanted to do this," She said as she noted the look of horror on Tieria's face, "It's necessary for this mission."

Tieria sighed and took the dress and the wig and went to go change.

* * *

Lyle, Neil and Allelujah stood in the hangar as Setsuna, Destiny and Tieria entered it. Allelujah and Neil knew not to utter a word about how Tieria looked because it would only royally tick him off. Lyle on the other hand, didn't know any better.

"I didn't know that we had another woman on board," He said, "I could have sworn that purple haired kid was male."

Tieria held his tongue. He wished to be on better terms with the younger Dylandi twin and punching the man in the face would not help that any.

"Hey," Neil said, "Good luck out there. Let us know what you find out." He turned to Setsuna and Destiny, "Protect him for us alright? We're counting on you two to get him back here safely."

"We will," Setsuna said as he got in his Gundam.

As the two Gundams left the hangar, Lyle sighed. "And with any luck, just Setsuna will return." He muttered loud enough for just Feldt to hear.

* * *

Tieria was disgusted by what he witnessed at the party. Most of the men that were there were greedy men who clung to the Federation to benefit only themselves. Tieria had already figured out who the commander of the A-Laws was, but he knew that that man wasn't in charge of everything. When would the real enemy show himself?

Then a voice, that he hadn't heard in a while, resonated in his head in a rather panicked manner, _"Tieria, please be careful."_

/Regene?/ He thought as the sound of hard-soled dress shoes clicking along the title floor as the wearer walked towards him, could be heard.

"Pardon me," A frighteningly familiar male voice came. Tieria turned around and found himself face to face with a man who had the cause of four years of torture. "Pleased to meet you, my name is Ribbons Alamark. May I have this dance?"

Tieria's eyes narrowed, /So you _are_ the one in charge/ the thought.

"I never thought that I would ever see you alive again," Ribbons said as they danced, "Let alone dressed like this."

Tieria sighed ignoring the first part of Ribbons' comment, "Everyone knows that the four Meisters are male." He said, "I am simply following the instructions of my strategic forecaster."

"I see," Ribbons said, "But I want to know how you survived. I thought I had come up with a fool proof way to get rid of you for good."

"It doesn't matter how I survived," Tieria said, "Unlike you, Celestial Being isn't going to just kill a member just because they had been captured by the enemy."

"I guess Celestial Being is warping the plan then." Ribbons said.

Tieria gasped, "Wh-What do you mean?" He asked.

"Why do you think I took Veda away from you? You weren't supposed to live, but there's nothing I can do about it now." Ribbons said, "However if you want, I can grant them to you again...your access rights to Veda."

Tieria gasped and lost his balance. He would have fallen but somehow Ribbons was able to use his momentum to pull Tieria back to his feet. "No way..." He gasped, "So you are the one who seized control over it."

"Is that hard to believe?" Ribbons said as the music ended. He and Tieria stood face to face again. Ribbons walked towards the Meister, "It's terribly loud out here, shall we go somewhere more peaceful?"

Tieria knew that he should have declined Ribbons' request yet he followed the green haired man. He followed Ribbons to a room lit only by a crackling fire. "Did you really seize control of Veda?" He asked.

"You should know that," Ribbons said as he poured himself a glass of wine.

"That time," Tieria said, "When the TRIAL system was forcefully disengaged...that was you. Then you also gave the pseudo GN-Drives to the federation. But why, why did you do that?"

"Because the destruction of Celestial Being was also part of the plan," Ribbons said, "Four years ago when I captured you, my original intention was to kill you. But then I realized that I could use you for something so I decided to let you live. But yes, the four of you were supposed to die four years ago."

Tieria was mortified, "No way..."

"Sad but true," Ribbons said, "You should be happy I let you live and that I will continue to let you live. Just remember, you're outliving your predetermined lifespan, I would take extreme caution if I were you."

"That can't be true!" Tieria yelled, "We were entrusted by Aeolia Schenberg with the Gundams, GN-Drives and the Trans-Am system. As someone Aeolia entrusted with a Gundam, I think you're wrong. That's right! I will head down the path that I think is right and work frantically towards it. Even if I'm branded as a fool for doing so!"

Ribbons laughed, "You're a hopeless case Tieria Erde," he said, "You always have been and I guess you always will be. You've let that man get too close to you. That Neil Dylandi, he's clouded your judgment as one of us, an innovator. So, how exactly did he survive those years ago? Well, that's his little secret. Surely he must have told you, why he's still blind in his right eye." He paused, "He hasn't has he? I guess you'll never know the truth then, if he didn't tell you, the person he seems to hold closer to his heart than his own brother. And yet, I'm surprised he's still talking to you after you said all those things and even pulled a gun on him."

"YOU BASTARD!" Tieria roared as he pulled a gun out from under the dress and pointed it at the smirking green haired teenager in front of him. Ribbons gave his usual apologetic smile. Then Tieria winced as a sharp burning pain shot through his right wrist and up his arm. He grabbed his wrist as the gun fell out of his now useless right hand.

"So," A familiar female voice came, "Veda decided to save your pathetic life once again."

"Hilling..." Tieria growled as he felt something warm and sticky running down his hand and arm. He looked down saw little deep crimson streams running down his arm, staining his porcelain skin. /I have to get out of here/ He thought as he drew a second gun and fired all six shots at the window. He dropped the useless weapon and dashed for the window.

"Oi Tieria," Hilling called as she cocked her gun, "How is big sister Jori doing?" Tieria turned and Hilling took this as an opportunity. She aimed for the right side of Tieria's stomach and fired. There was no reason to kill him just yet, she just wanted to hurt him in some way.

Tieria realized just how big of a mistake turning around had been when he heard the gunshot. Then almost immediately, he was hit with an almost unbearable burning pain as the bullet penetrated his skin. He put his hand to his stomach, took a few steps backwards, then fell backwards out the broken window.

* * *

Oh no, That's definitely not good. Hilling shot Tieria...what is this going to mean for poor T-chan? I really like torturing him don't I? And don't get me started with Lyle he's an ass and I don't like him. As for Sumeragi's little, "you should be used to going undercover as a female" comment. It's from the first drama CD where Tieria goes undercover as a school girl and it's just total crack. Well aside from that I've got nothing else to say. I've got the next chapter written up I just need to type it up. Until next time minna-san! Oh one little thing before you go, this little fic had it's first birthday on the second day of June!

_Ex-shark-V-005_


	14. Fear and Chaos

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I decided that because I left such an awful cliffhanger that I would get this chapter up as soon as I could. I don't have much to say about this chapter so you can get started right away, or you can read the disclaimer and have to wait an additional thirty seconds or so.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (With Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle (though she seems to have gone missing) are mine.

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter fourteen: Fear and Chaos

Destiny was waiting on the side of the building where Tieria's signal was transmitting from. She looked up as she heard several gun shots and shattering glass. /Good, he's secured his escape route/ she thought, /Any minute now/ Then she heard a seventh shot and a feeling of dread washed over her and she subconsciously put her hand to her stomach. She then looked up, just in time to see Tieria as he fell out of the window.

"Tieria!" She cried as she hurried to catch him. "Tieria, what happened?" She asked as she prevented Tieria from falling to his death. "Did you trip in those shoes or something? Tieria…what's wrong, please answer me." She then felt something warm and sticky on her hand. She looked at it and found that it was blood, "Tieria," She called as she started to panic. Tieria's breathing was very heavy and he wasn't answering her at all. "Tieria! Tieria!" She then noticed the gunshot wound to his stomach. /Oh no…/ She though as she put her hand to Tieria's neck to get a pulse just as he stirred.

"Destiny…" Tieria whispered as he coughed up blood, "She…she…she shot me…"

"Who, Tieria?" Destiny asked as she removed her jacket and tie she was wearing, took out a small knife and started cutting strips of fabric, "Who shot you?" She then pressed a wad of fabric to the wound and fashioned a bandage.

"Hilling…" Tieria gasped as Destiny applied more pressure to his stomach.

"Take it easy," She said as she secured the bandage then carefully got Tieria on her back as he lost consciousness again. She didn't care about getting his blood on her, she needed to get him back as soon as possible. "Setsuna!"

"_Destiny," _He called_ "I've been discovered."_

"So have we," Destiny said as she ran back to the Gundams, "But we have a more serious problem on our hands. Tieria was shot."

There was a bit of a pause as Setsuna digested what the girl had told him, _"Sonna…" _He gasped, _"Destiny please tell me Tieria Erde is going to be alright."_

"He's in and out of consciousness," Destiny said, "We need to get him back quickly, he's bleeding heavily."

"_Ryoukai," _Setsuna called.

"Seravee Gundam," She called, "Disengage repose! Set priority to Destiny Wish and Tieria Erde!" She quickly and carefully got into the cockpit and slipped into her maroon flight suit. She wasn't going to even try to get Tieria in his, she didn't want to disturb the stomach wound, "Control to Destiny Wish. Tieria…Tieria Erde is unable to pilot." The Gundam started up, "Destiny Wish and Tieria Erde, returning to Ptolemaios."

"Destiny…" Tieria whispered as he regained consciousness. The pain in his side was so bad he was almost numb, "I heard…that name…again…Jori…"

"Again?" Destiny asked, "Who said it?"

"Hilling…" Tieria mumble spitting up more blood in the process, "She…said how's…big sister…Jori doing…"

"We'll look into it later," Destiny said, "For now, don't talk."

"_Destiny," _Setsuna called, _"How's Tieria?"_

"He's not doing very well right now," She said. The makeshift bandages were working to slow the bleeding but Tieria was still losing blood at a steady pace. And every so often, Tieria would spit-up blood leaving a thin trail of crimson at the corner of his mouth, "This Gundam's not fast enough…"

"_Use Trans-Am," _Setsuna called. There was then a beeping that caught the attention of the two pilots, _"Masaka…That Gundam...Ali-Al Saachez!"_

"Ali-Al…Saachez…" Tieria muttered, "Neil's…"

"_Destiny!" _Setsuna yelled, _"Get Tieria out of here, NOW!"_

"Alright," Destiny said, "GN-Field!" She called as pushed the Seravee to full speed.

"_Where do you think you're going?" _Ali-Al Saachez called. He fired the fangs at Setsuna then fired several shots at the Seravee.

* * *

Tieria barely heard Destiny wince has the shots broke through the GN-Field. He was trying to keep himself conscious but with each hit, more pain shot through his abdomen and more blood surged to the back of his throat. He weakly cried out in pain as his consciousness threatened to fail him once again. He was beginning to gag on the metallic taste of his own blood and the pain in his stomach was adding to the nausea. But he couldn't vomit, not now, not on Destiny, she was under enough stress and pressure as it was and he didn't need to add to it.

"_Tieria!" _He knew that Destiny was right near him yet she sounded so far away.

Then a more horrifying realization that the pain was starting to subside and the numbing pain was starting to diminish as the loss of feeling was beginning to spread throughout his entire body, /No…/ he thought, /I can't be dying/ Breathing was becoming more difficult as the blood at the back of his throat was starting to drip down into his lungs /I can't die yet!/ His mind was starting to shut down on him, /There's too much to do…/ He heard Destiny start to panic as his senses were failing, /I WON'T LET MYSELF DIE YET!/

* * *

Destiny was having a hard time. She couldn't shake the red Gundam and Tieria was getting worse. "Setsuna!" she cried as Tieria lost consciousness again, "Where are you?"

"_I'm a little busy," _He said as he tried to destroy and avoid the fangs, _"Use Trans-Am and get Tieria out of here! Don't let him die!"_

Destiny was about to activate the Trans-Am when particle beams cut the Arche Gundam from the Seravee, /Good/ She thought, /The others are here/

"_It seems I'm outnumbered," _Saachez said, _"I'll let you be for now."_

"_Tieria, Destiny, are you alright?" _Allelujah called, _"The Seravee's badly damaged."_

"It is?" Destiny asked. She had been so preoccupied with Tieria's condition that she didn't notice all the alarms going off.

"_You didn't notice?" Allelujah asked._

"I didn't," Destiny said, "I've been busy trying to take care of Tieria."

"_What's wrong?" _Allelujah asked, _"Is he feeling sick again or something?"_

"No Allelujah…" Destiny said, "Tieria was shot."

"_No…no way…" _Allelujah gasped, _"Destiny is he…Tieria was shot…is he…"_

"He's alive," Destiny said, "But I need you to bring him back to Ptolemaios. Your Gundam is much faster than his."

"_Destiny," _Allelujah said, _"We're supposed to return together. Contact Sumeragi-san first."_

"There's no time!" Destiny cried, "If we wait for a response he'll be in trouble. If we return together there's a possibility that he'll die from blood loss before we get there! Please Allelujah…"

"_Alright," _Allelujah said as he approached the Seraphim. He then set the Arios' hand so it was acting as a bridge between the two Gundams.

Destiny opened the cockpit and Allelujah walked over to it, "Be careful," She said, "His right arm was skimmed badly and he was shot in the stomach."

Allelujah nodded and gently took Tieria from Destiny. Tieria was unconscious and ashen. He was still wearing the dress but Allelujah couldn't blame Destiny for not wanting to remove it. There was also a makeshift bandage secured around Tieria's rather slim waist. He returned to his cockpit and gently rested Tieria on his lap, "Arios flight mode," He called as his Gundam transformed, "Allelujah Haptism and Tieria Erde returning to Ptolemaios."

* * *

"Sumeragi-san," Mileina called, "Arios has broken away from the others!"

"What?" Sumeragi asked, "What is that boy doing? Allelujah there had better be a good explanation for what you're doing."

"_There was no time to explain back there,"_ Allelujah said, "_Tieria would have been in trouble if we did."_

"What do you mean?" Sumeragi asked.

"_Sumeragi-san,"_ Allelujah said as he sighed, _"Tieria was shot in the stomach. I broke away so that he would have a better chance to recover from this."_

No one spoke for a while, "Allelujah," Sumeragi said, "Please tell me…he's…"

"_He's still alive,"_ Allelujah said, _"The bullet didn't exit his body, but he's bleeding heavily."_

"How long until you dock?" Sumeragi asked as she bit her lip.

"_About three hundred,"_ Allelujah said.

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "Please hurry." She turned to Neil and Mileina, "Mileina go inform your mother that we need a full prep of the medical room. Neil, contact Destiny. See how much time has passed since Tieria was shot." Neil and Mileina both nodded and did what they were told.

Sumeragi bit her lip harder. Tieria had been making progress and then this had to happen. /It is true…/ She thought, /Every time we think he's out of the woods something else happens to him…Is he ever going to catch a break? He's strong, but there's only so much he can take…/

"Ms. Sumeragi," Neil said, "Destiny said that it's been about thirty minutes since Tieria was shot."

"Dammit," Sumeragi said.

"_Sumeragi-san,"_ Allelujah called, _"Tieria's getting worse. His blood pressure is dropping. It's not dropping quickly but it's definitely dropping."_

Sumeragi gasped. That was the last thing see need to hear, "How long until you dock?"

"_One twenty,"_ Allelujah said, _"Don't worry; I don't think he's going to get much worse in that span."_

"Hurry, Allelujah," Sumeragi said, /I want that boy to live/ she didn't say out loud.

"Sumeragi," Feldt said, "Seravee is badly damaged."

"Dammit," Sumeragi said, "I don't need this right now. Neil head down to the medical room, see if Linda needs help with anything. Saji you take over for Neil, Mileina go to the hangar and help your father out please."

"Ryoukai!"

"_Arios has docked,"_ Ian called from the hangar, _"Allelujah's heading to the medical room with Tieria…" _Ian's voice dropped, _"The kid's really not lookin' so good."_

"Dammit!" Sumeragi cried, "Feldt you're in charge, I'm going to the medical room."

* * *

Linda was quite shocked at the condition that Tieria was in.

"Neil-kun, I need you to get him out of that outfit," She said, "Mileina, I need you to get an IV ready then start programming the capsule. Allelujah-kun, would you help Neil-kun?" She handed Allelujah a pair of scrub pants, "Put those on him for now."

The three did what they were told to do while Linda began hooking the critically injured pilot up to several machines, "Dammit, he's lost too much blood…" She muttered, "Neil I need you to do something else for me, Tieria needs blood, you and Destiny are the only suitable donors."

"Linda what's going on!" Sumeragi cried as she entered the medical room. She gasped. Tieria was a mess. His arm was still bleeding freely from where the first bullet skimmed him and the wound on his stomach was bleeding heavily.

"Don't worry," Linda said, "He'll be alright. The wounds are far from fatal. Once I get him on an IV drip I'll extract the bullet, stitch it up then get him in the capsule."

"Is he going to be alright?" Sumeragi asked.

"He's going to be fine," She said, "The bullet isn't in there deep and it didn't hit any internal organs. I'm just a little concerned about how close it is to the other wound. It shouldn't cause much of a problem I'm just wondering how it's going to affect the new tissue there." She turned to Neil, "Are you almost ready?"

"Just about," He said as he sat down on the bed next to Tieria.

"Let me know," Linda said.

"What's he doing?" Sumeragi asked.

Linda sighed, "The capsule can't handle the level of blood loss Tieria's suffered from," She said, "I need to get his blood level up a bit before we can put him in the capsule. Don't worry Sumeragi, the blood loss is something that we can keep up with."

"_Sumeragi,"_ Feldt called, _"The others have docked."_

"Send Destiny to the medical room." Linda said.

"_She's already on her way,"_ Ian called, "_I'm__ going to get started on the damage to the Seravee. But I had an idea, I'm thinking of putting another cockpit in the Seravee for Destiny to pilot from. However we would need to head to Lagrange Three for that."_

"That's fine," Sumeragi said, "I think that's a good idea."

"_Alright, I'll get started," _Mileina said, "_Is Tieria going to be alright?"_

"I hope so Ian," Sumeragi said, "I really hope so…"

* * *

Lyle was rather surprised with all of the chaos that was going happening on the ship. He entered the bridge where he found only Saji and Feldt.

"What's going on?" Lyle asked, "What's all the fuss about?"

"Tieria was shot in the stomach during the infiltration mission," Feldt said.

"Tieria?" Lyle asked, "Oh that purple haired kid, huh? Oh well, he had it coming to him."

"You bastard!" Feldt yelled as she slapped him in the face, "I heard what you said earlier! Tieria is your comrade! And you don't give a damn do you! I'm sure that if you had been critically injured on a mission Tieria would be very worried about you and do you know why? Because he's not an ass like you are! Tieria would never feel any sort of malice towards you, so why do you hate him so much?" She paused. She needed to get Lyle to see that Tieria wasn't an enemy, "Tieria is fighting for his life again because he was shot by one of the people who captured him four years ago!"

Lyle recoiled. "Wait," he said, "That kid was shot by one of his comrades?"

"Those bastards aren't his comrades, they never were!" Feldt yelled, "They don't acknowledge Tieria as a comrade! Don't you understand? Those people never cared for Tieria, in fact Destiny told me that their intention was to leave him to die."

Lyle gasped, "But then why?" He asked, "Why did he say those things? And why did he attack Setsuna?"

"They were controlling him," Feldt said, "Did you happen to notice the color of Tieria's eyes when he pulled a gun on your brother?"

"How could I forget?" Lyle said, "That kid's eyes were this crazy yellow color."

"I thought so," Feldt said, "Tieria had no control over what he said, someone else had taken control of his body." She paused, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if Sumeragi needs anything."

Lyle sighed as he tried to digest what he had been told.

* * *

"With any luck that fall killed him," Ribbons said as he peered towards the broken window, "And we'll never have to deal with him again. Good job Hilling."

"Y-You're welcome," She said as she tried to keep her cool. She was trying to remain calm and impassive but image of Tieria's face just before he fell was still burning in her mind and making her feel sick. The image of Tieria's garnet eyes widening, his already pale face growing white, then the sight of him falling backwards out the broken window was sickening to her.

"Hilling," Ribbons said, "Are you alright? You've been staring out the window for a long time."

"I…I fine," She said as the mental scene changed. And it was no longer a long-haired Tieria falling out the window. It was a small child with an uncanny resemblance to Tieria. Hilling gasped and the nausea she was feeling intensified. She knew who the child was. The child who had pin-straight shoulder length vivid purple hair, wore oval shaped wire-framed glasses to correct much less than perfect vision from narrow unnatural garnet eyes. It was a child she had once sworn to protect.

"Hilling?" Ribbons asked with perhaps a faint hint on concern to his normally deadpan voice.

"I'm going to be sick…" Hilling muttered as she ran from the room with her hand to her mouth and trying to keep her tears from sight.

She hurried to the only wash room on the floor and threw up. She couldn't believe she shot Tieria. The image would now be forever burned into her memory. She knelt down next to the toilet and sobbed. She needed to find out if Tieria was still alive, to find out if there was some possible way he survived the fall despite the gunshot wound to his stomach. She opened her connection to Veda and desperately searched for Tieria's quantum brainwave signature but she couldn't find it and it caused her to feel faint. Tieria may not have had access rights but she could always locate him, but today she couldn't and she knew it meant one terrible thing. Tieria Erde had not survived.

She leaned against the wall, "Sam…" She sobbed, "I'm so sorry…"

* * *

Whew, it seems as though Tieria is going to pull through just fine. Though, poor Sumeragi might worry herself to death. And what is up with Hilling? Who is the child? And more importantly, who is Sam? Hilling also seems to be stalking Tieria a bit. How are things going to play out in future chapter? (Dear Gundam, I'm asking a ton of questions today…) Well you're just gonna have to read to find out. Until next time minna-san.

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	15. Starting to Uncover the Truth

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back! I can't believe I posted the last chapter nearly a month ago, it feels like I updated it yesterday! Well anyway, this chapter's a lot longer than the others have been. Well I don't have much to say now, so skip the disclaimer and start reading the fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (With Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle (though she seems to have gone missing) are mine.

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Starting to Uncover the Truth

Regene sighed as he stood outside of the washroom that Hilling had locked herself in. Ribbons had sent him to go check on her and Regene didn't want to be there, he was rather afraid of Hilling.

"Hilling," Regene called, "Are you alright?"

"Go away!" Hilling yelled, "I don't wanna talk to anyone right now!"

"Hilling," Regene called, he had a good feeling that he knew what this was about, "This is about Tieria isn't it?" There was a gasp from the other side of the door which opened, "Hilling…?" The green-haired girl threw herself at Regene and sobbed into his shoulder, "Hilling!"

"I think I killed him Regene! I think I killed Tieria Erde!" She sobbed, "I can't locate Tieria's quantum brainwave signature! He's dead, he didn't survive the fall or the gunshot wound!"

"You didn't kill him," Regene said as his eyes turned yellow, "Tieria's in critical condition but he's still very much alive."

Hilling's countenance displayed the faint hint of a smile, "Really?" She asked, "How do you know? How can you be sure that he's alive?"

"We share the same base pattern," Regene said, "We're always connected. Like you're always connected to Ribbons, I'm always connected to Tieria."

"But I've always been able to locate Tieria!" Hilling cried, "And I can't find him at all!"

Regene sighed. He too had been unable to locate Tieria's quantum brainwave signature. However there was another person that he could contact who was always at Tieria's side, "I was able to contact Destiny," He said, "She hasn't left Tieria's side since he fell out the window. She told me that they were able to get him back to their ship in time to help him and he's going to make a full recovery."

With that information Hilling burst into tears and threw her arms around Regene's neck again, "Thank you so much!" she cried, "I'm so glad!"

"Hilling…" Regene gasped. He had always thought that Hilling was completely emotionless and yet she was now crying her eyes out on his uniform, "What is this all about? I thought you hated Tieria, so why are you so worried about him?"

"I made a promise to someone," She said softly, "A long time ago."

* * *

Sumeragi sighed as she sat in the medical room's observation room. Linda and Destiny were removing the bullet from Tieria's stomach and she didn't want to get in the way. She was worried about Tieria. She knew he was strong but, he had just recovered from a previous injury to his stomach. And she was worried that it was inhibit his body's ability to heal however, Linda seemed certain that Tieria would make a full recovery in less than two weeks.

"_Sumeragi," _Linda called, _"We're finished."_

"How's Tieria?" Sumeragi said.

"_He's going to be just fine," _Linda said, _"Tieria-kun is resting in the capsule now. He should make a full recovery in about ten days." _

Sumeragi sighed in relief. "That's good to hear," She said, "We're going to need him."

"_Even if we are engaged in battle after Tieria-kun recovers he wouldn't be able to sortie," _Destiny said, _"The damage that was done to the Seravee Gundam is going to take much longer than ten days to repair. And I heard that Vashti-san wants to put a secondary cockpit in the Seravee for my use."_

"I know he does," Sumeragi said, "How's Neil doing?"

"_He'll need to stay in the medical room for a few hours while he recovers from the blood loss," _Destiny said, _"He's still unconscious and he's going to have to take it easy for another forty-eight hours."_

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "I think we'll be able to manage for a few days without Tieria and Neil. I take it you'll want to stay by Tieria's side until he wakes."

"_If it's possible," _Destiny said, _"But if I'm needed elsewhere, I'll help out."_

"I'll keep that in mind," Sumeragi said, "Well I'm headed back to the bridge. Call me if anything comes up."

"_I will," _Destiny called.

Sumeragi returned to the bridge and opened a communications line, "I need the Meisters to report to the bridge for an emergency meeting."

After a few minutes Setsuna, Allelujah and Lyle entered the bridge.

"What's up?" Lyle asked.

"There's been a slight change in stations for the time being," She said, "With Tieria in critical condition and Neil on rest for a few days…"

"What's wrong with Niisan?" Lyle demanded.

"He acted as a blood donor for Tieria," Sumeragi said, "He'll be fine in a few days."

"How is Tieria?" Allelujah said softly, "He was really struggling when I was bringing him back. He was unconscious but he was shuddering in pain and almost gasping for breath."

"He's resting in the capsule now," Sumeragi said, "He'll be fine in a few days. He's going to make a full recovery. But in the meantime, I need the three of you to help out with the Gundams and at the helm for the next few days. Destiny will be staying in the medical room until Tieria recovers. Lyle!" She called as the newest Meister made a break for the door, "Where do you think you're going? I'm not done talking yet!"

"I'm going to see if Niisan is alright!" He called as he rushed from the bridge.

* * *

Destiny was rather startled when Lyle barged into the medical room, "Dylandi-san," she exclaimed, "What's wrong?"

"Is my brother alright?" Lyle asked.

"Yes he is," Destiny said, "He just started coming back to consciousness. You can see him if you like."

"Oi," Neil called, "Why aren't you helping out on the bridge?"

"Niisan, are you alright?" Lyle asked, "What were you thinking?"

"I'll be fine," Neil said tiredly, "The kid needed it, he wasn't gonna make it if I didn't help."

"But why?" Lyle asked, "Why would you help someone who pulled a gun on you and threatened to shoot?"

"Because the kid is my friend," Neil said, "And I couldn't just let him die. He's been through a lot and as for the gun part, well that's nothing new for him. Heh, heh, four years ago he pulled a gun on Setsuna and threatened to shoot and he wasn't even being possessed by some annoying bastard."

"But…"

"Oi enough already," Neil said, "If you say but one more time I'm gonna hit you so hard…gaah!" Neil lifted his arm but was met with a stabbing pain that caused to cry out.

"You shouldn't do that," Lyle said as he eased his brother against the bed, "Take it easy."

"Why the hell are you being so nice to me?" Neil asked, "I thought you hated me. I mean, this isn't like you at all."

Lyle averted his gaze from his older brother and he caught a glance of Tieria. The purple-haired Meister looked terrible. His face was drained of all color except for a slight reddish tint near the boy's mouth from the blood he spit up. He was wearing only a pair of scrub pants and Lyle could see the extent of the wounds. Lyle could see the stitches running up Tieria's arm from the first bullet and he could see where the second bullet had hit him. There were also a handful of scars staining the boy's unnaturally pale skin and he could tell that at least one of them was from a gunshot wound. /What's happened to him in the past?/ Lyle thought.

"Oi," Neil called, "I asked you a question."

"Niisan…" Lyle asked he had never quite seen anyone with such severe injuries, "Is…Is he going to be okay?"

"Lyle, are you running a fever or something?" Neil asked as he propped himself up again, "What the hell has gotten into you?"

"The pink-haired girl told me something," Lyle said softly. The words that Feldt had said to him were ringing in his head.

"Ah Feldt," Neil said, "Yeah, she's a smart girl. What did she tell you?"

"She said that he was shot by one of the people he worked for during the past four years," Lyle said.

"She's absolutely right," Neil said, "Tieria was indeed shot not once, but twice by one of the people he worked with. Now do you see what we've been trying to tell you since we recovered Tieria?"

Lyle sighed as he turned towards Tieria again. He could see the steady but shallow rise and fall of the comatose Meister's chest as he breathed. He felt awful now, Tieria was in fact being genuine when he had apologized to him and he had completely turned him down. He knew what he had to do but he knew that it would be difficult, "I think I owe him an apology."

"Well said, little brother," Neil said, "Well said. Now, I'm really tired so I'm gonna take a nap. Be nice to the other children while I'm asleep."

Lyle sighed as Neil shut his eye.

"Ah he's asleep again," Destiny said, "That's good he needs to regain his strength."

"_Destiny," _Sumeragi called, _"Is Lyle there?"_

"Dylandi-san," Destiny said, "I believe you're wanted at the bridge. It's just about lunch time so I'm guessing that you're going to have to take over at the helm while Haptism-san makes lunch."

Lyle just nodded as he walked from the room.

"Well I'm glad that's over," Neil said, "I needed to get him to see the truth about Tieria. Hopefully now he'll understand what we've been trying to tell him."

Destiny was about to respond when the alarm went off, _"We've detected six enemy underwater mobile armors," _Sumeragi's voice came over the PA, _"I need all Meisters to report to their Gundams. Destiny, I'm sorry to pull you away from the medical room, but we need the Seravee's Trans-Am."_

"I understand," Destiny said.

"Don't worry," Neil said, "If I can stay awake, I'll keep my eye on the kid."

"Thank you," Destiny said as she ran from the room.

"_Destiny," _Sumeragi said as the girl entered the cockpit of the damaged Gundam, _"All you have to do is activate the Trans-Am system."_

"I understand," Destiny said.

"_During the atmospheric exit, Setsuna and the Double-0 will make an emergency launch," _Sumeragi said, _"We're going to wait until the enemy's torpedoes detonate and we're going to ride the explosions."_

"Ryoukai!" The four of them called.

"_Activate Trans-Am!" _Sumeragi called

"Ryoukai," Destiny called, "Trans-Am!"

She then felt herself being shoved back into the seat as the Ptolemaios started the atmospheric exit. The after a few minutes she heard a voice.

"_I only have to change the Ptolemaios' angle by three degrees," _The familiar voice said, _"That's not a problem for the Gadessa."_

"Revive-kun?" Destiny called mentally.

"_Huh? Destiny, you're still alive?" _Revive asked, _"Ribbons told me that you and Tieria Erde were dead."_

"We're both still alive," Destiny said, "Tieria-kun's not in good shape but he's alive and he will recover to full strength in time."

"_Regene was telling the truth then," _Revive said, _"Destiny Wish, I apologize for what I'm about to do, but orders are orders."_

"I understand," Destiny said, "Take care Revive-kun."

"_Take care."_

Then a powerful blast rocked the Ptolemaios. The blast wasn't enough to damage the ship but it enough to shift the angle at least three degrees.

"Noriega-san!" Destiny called, "We're off course!"

"_I know!" _Sumeragi said, _"Setsuna I need you to launch now!"_

"_Ryoukai!"_

"_As for the rest of you," _Sumeragi called, _"Remain on standby. Destiny, I don't expect you sortie with the Seravee in that condition. You can go back to the medical room."_

"I want to see this through," Destiny said, "I know I should be tending to Tieria-kun and Neil-san, however the safety of this ship is more important. I'll return to the medical room once we're out of danger, but for now, I'll remain on standby."

Sumeragi sighed, _"Alright," _she said.

* * *

It didn't take Setsuna long to take out the small enemy squadron however during that time Destiny was praying that things went well. With only two operational Gundams there was a lot that could go wrong. She didn't need anyone else to get hurt either. They were already down two crew members one for a few days the other for at least a week.

"_The enemy has retreated," _Sumeragi called, _"I need all crew members to report to their stations as we head to Lagrange Three."_

"Ryoukai!"

Destiny sighed as she hurried to the medical room. Tieria was recovering in the capsule but the first twenty-four hours were critical. Tieria was still in a coma and he needed to be monitored closely. There was still a slight chance that his condition would take a turn for the worse and there was also the possibility that he wouldn't wake up.

"Ah, you're back," Neil said as he sat up a bit, "Don't worry, the kid's doing fine. There's been no change in his condition."

"That's good," Destiny said, "He needs careful monitoring today. If the treatment works he'll still be unconscious but he would have pulled out of the coma."

"I see," Neil said, "I think you should examine my brother. He was acting rather strange earlier."

"I think he was seeing what we've been trying to tell him all along," Destiny said as she checked the capsule's computer, "Good, he's made some progress and the bleeding has completely stopped."

"Well that's good," Neil said, "So I take it the kid's gonna be fine."

"Yeah," Destiny said. /What was I so worried about/ She thought, /Tieria-kun isn't weak, he'll be fine/

* * *

Revive sighed as he docked the Gadessa in one of the A-laws transport ships. Ribbons had lied to them, Tieria and Destiny were alive.

"Hilling," He called.

"_Revive," _Hilling responded, _"What is it?"_

"Regene was telling the truth," He said, "Destiny Wish and Tieria Erde are still alive."

"_Huh?" _Hilling gasped, _"It's true?"_

"Yeah," Revive called, "I went to attack the Ptolemaios and Destiny called out to me."

"_So Tieria Erde is still alive?" _Hilling asked.

"Destiny said that he wasn't in good shape but he's still alive," Revive said.

"_Regene was telling the truth," _Hilling called, _"He really was telling the truth! Tieria is alive! I didn't kill him after all!"_

"Hilling," Revive gasped, "What do you mean, you didn't kill Tieria Erde?"

"_I shot him Revive," _Hilling cried, _"I shot Tieria in the stomach. I don't know what made me do it. I thought I killed him when he fell out the window, but it seems as though he survived somehow."_

"You shot Tieria Erde?" Revive asked, "Why did you do that? Ribbons is trying to get him to side with us again."

"_I don't know what made me do it!" _Hilling wailed, _"I swear!"_

"It's alright," Revive said, "Don't worry about it. It's better is we have Tieria opposing us anyway. Destiny told me he's still alive so he'll recover."

"_Are you sure?" _Hilling asked, _"He fell from a second floor window with a pretty deep gunshot wound to the stomach. How did he survive that!" _She cried, _"I couldn't find his quantum brainwave signature through Veda either! So how the hell is he still alive!"_

"I don't know," Revive said as he rubbed his forehead. Hilling's whining and crying was giving him a headache, "It would be hard to find Tieria through Veda either, Ribbons revoked his access rights a while ago."

"_But even after his access rights were revoked I was able to locate his quantum brainwaves that way!" _Hilling said.

Then before Revive could say anything a small device beeped from his pocket, "Hilling," He said, "I have to go. We can talk more about this later."

"_Alright," _Hilling said, _"I'll take your word that Tieria Erde is going to make a full recovery."_

Revive sighed. He knew that soon enough he would be forced to try to eliminate Tieria and Destiny and it disturbed him. He didn't like the idea of having to fight his comrades, even if they were siding with the enemy.

* * *

Hilling sighed. She hoped what Revive said was true. She knew that if she had killed Tieria she wouldn't be able to live with herself. She needed to check to see if Tieria was alive she needed solid evidence of his survival. She opened her link to Veda again and desperately searched for Tieria's quantum brainwave signature.

She quickly leafed through the immense network of quantum brainwave signatures but none of them were right. None of them felt even remotely close to Tieria's signature. Tieria's quantum brainwave signature was nothing like any of their signatures. She thought that she felt Tieria's signature but then realized that it was Regene's. She had never felt the similarities in the two signatures but she dismissed it, she was on a mission.

She was beginning to get desperate. She needed to find Tieria's quantum brainwave signature but she couldn't find it and she was beginning to really panic.

/Tieria!/ She called mentally, /Tieria Erde! Answer me, Tieria!/

"_Dare…ka…?" _A weak response came, _"Who…who is that…calling me…?"_

Hilling gasped as she felt the familiar sensation that she had been desperately searching for. She had finally found Tieria's quantum brainwave signature. It was definitely much weaker than it normally was. Tieria's entire aura seemed to have a groggy and hazy feel and it worried Hilling a bit. But she figured that he was still seriously wounded, seeing that it had only been about twenty-four hours since he had been shot and there was no way he could recover that quickly.

"_Who is that…?" _Tieria's exhausted, barely conscious mind called again, _"Why are you calling me…?_

"Tieria, You're still alive," Hilling called back, "I'm so glad!"

"_Who…who are you…? Anew…? Destiny…? Ma…masaka…Hilling…d-doshite…?"_

Hilling gasped she didn't like the response that she had just received. She had long forgotten just how sharp Tieria was, even if he was badly injured and just barely out of a coma. "H-hai," She called, "It's me, Hilling."

"_Leave me alone…"_ Tieria called, _"Haven't…haven't you done enough to me…?"_

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright," Hilling said, "I was worried."

"_Please…please… just leave me alone…"_ Tieria muttered back, _"You…you shot me…I…I'm in pain…and…Hilling please…I just want to sleep for a while…"_

Hilling nearly cried as Tieria's quantum brainwave signature faded almost completely again. She could still feel his aura again, however something else was bothering her this time. The words that Tieria's weak mind had said to her had struck her hard. She cursed herself for not thinking about what Tieria must be feeling. She shot him in the stomach and here she was trying to chat with him.

/What was I thinking?/ Hilling thought, /I shot him…there's no way…he'll ever forgive me…Tieria must hate me…/

"_Give him some time," _Another voice called.

"Regene…?"

"_Tieria's mind just literally woke up," _Regene said, _"In fact, you were the one who woke him, let him rest a while. And for the record, Tieria is completely incapable of hatred. After all he's been through, he doesn't even hate Ribbons."_

Hilling gasped. She now had a lot to think about, but she knew one thing for sure. She now had the solid evidence she needed to know that Tieria had indeed survived the gunshot wound and falling out the window.

* * *

Holy Gundam a lot happened in that! Hilling completely broke down on Regene. Lyle finally realized that Tieria was being genuine and he isn't going to go berserk and kill everyone. Revive is starting to realize just how much of a bastard Ribbons is. Then Hilling completely freaked out again and she went and "woke" Tieria who just wants to sleep. Can you wrap you heads around that? I don't think I can, and I _wrote _it! Well, until next time minna-san, Ja ne!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	16. Scars

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back! It's been a while hasn't it? I'm sorry I was suffering from a bad bout of writer's block but it finally quieted down for the time being. But hey it happens right? Well I don't have much else to say I've kept you waiting long enough so go enjoy a slightly longer than normal chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (With Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle (though she seems to have gone missing) are mine.

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Scars

Destiny, Neil and Allelujah sat in the medical room several days later. It had been a bit too quite as of late and it left a feeling of unease that spanned across the entire crew.

"We haven't been attacked since we broke through the atmosphere," Allelujah said, "Am I the only one who thinks that it's a little odd?"

"It is a little strange," Neil said, "I'm pretty sure that the A-Laws could easily find us if they really wanted too. So they're either planning something or they know we're down a Gundam. And my guess is they're planning something."

"I really hope you're wrong," Destiny said, "We really can't afford to be ambushed right now."

"Hey now," Neil said, "Don't think like that. We're gonna make it to Lagrange Three safe and sound."

"I hope so," Destiny said.

Allelujah sighed as he tried to find a way to get them off the topic of them being ambushed. "Destiny," he said, "How's Tieria doing?"

"Tieria-kun's doing alright," Destiny said, "He should wake up in the next few days. The wound has just about sealed up and he's basically just asleep now. He still needs to rest for another few days but he should pull through just fine."

"I'm glad," Allelujah said, "He's so lucky to have someone who watches out for him and cares for him the way you do Destiny. Tieria really needs that."

"Oi," Neil said, "What about me?"

"Sorry Neil," Allelujah said, "I guess both of you have saved Tieria in more ways than one. You've both gotten him to open up."

"Yeah," Neil said, "He needs us just as much as we need him right Des?"

"Huh?" Destiny gasped. She had been thinking about the relationship she had with Tieria. They were more than just friends, but too awkward to be lovers. It was almost as if they were brother and sister. Although she couldn't quite figure out who was supposed to be the older of the two. Even though Tieria did appear to be older however his behavior sometimes proved otherwise. "I'm sorry," She said, "What was the question?"

"Are you alright?" Neil asked.

"Yeah," Destiny said, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something that's all. Tieria-kun almost does need someone to guide him in the right direction. He's very level headed however he loses his way easily, especially without Veda."

"We've seen that before," Neil said, "The kid practically made himself sick when he lost connection to Veda. We were seriously afraid that the kid was going to sink into a stage of depression that he wouldn't be able to pull out of."

The three of them sighed as they looked as the sleeping Meister.

"He has it so hard…" Allelujah said softly.

"But the kid's strong," Neil said, "He'll be fine."

"_Destiny, Allelujah, Neil,"_ Sumeragi called before any of them could say anything else, _"We've arrived at Krung Thep."_

"Noriega-san," Destiny said, "Do I have permission to stay aboard the Ptolemaios until Tieria-kun wakes up?"

Sumeragi sighed, "I know you're worried about Tieria," She said, "But I think you should get some rest."

"But Tieria-kun's treatment will end within the next forty-eight hours," Destiny said.

"_You've been monitoring Tieria around the clock for the past week," _Sumeragi said, _"You should rest, he'll be fine."_

Destiny sighed, "Alright," She said.

"_Besides," _Sumeragi said, _"We'll need your help with the repairs to the Seravee."_

"I understand," Destiny said, "We'll be right there."

* * *

There were many things that Tieria couldn't seem to comprehend. He couldn't understand why Hilling wanted to know if he was still alive. She had shot him in the stomach. So why did she seem to care so much. She was an enemy…and yet, for some reason he couldn't quite fathom, whenever she had been put in charge of monitoring him, he felt very safe.

As he drifted in and out of an almost pseudo-consciousness Tieria witnessed bits and pieces of a life that he couldn't remember ever living. He could hear bits of conversations between a young child, a man named Sam, a woman named Renée and two other children. Every so often names that he recognized would be heard such as Hilling Anew, and Ribbons. But everything was fuzzy like a badly tuned radio station. If he happened to slip into a deeper stage of unconsciousness the voices became louder but harder to comprehend. And as he started to drift closer to consciousness the voices would become softer but easier to understand.

He allowed himself to slip into a deeper stage of unconsciousness. However this time, the vision became clearer and more vivid.

"_Sir, when will you wake him?" _A familiar deep alto voice asked.

"_Soon, Regene, soon," _Another familiar smooth male voice said, "_His body is so imperfect the process is taking much longer than usual."_

"_His health records state that he was a weak and sickly human child," _A sharp female voice said, _"He shouldn't have lived past the age of two. And yet he somehow managed to barely survive to the age of fourteen."_

"_His past doesn't matter anymore," _The second male voice stated, _"His mind is new. He holds nothing of his past life, he remembers nothing." _There was a pause, _"The imperfect human child that was brought to us has been reborn as a _perfect _and _superior _being."_

"_You lie," _The woman spoke,_ "He will never truly be one of us. His body still holds many of the imperfections that plagued him."_

"_Silence," _The second voice said, _"He is waking," _There was a pause, _"Open your eyes and awaken as a perfect being, as an innovator…Tieria Erde!"_

* * *

Tieria slowly came to consciousness. He opened his eyes and found himself in the empty medical room of the Ptolemaios which surprised him. He nearly expected to be lying in the closet of a room that Ribbons had provided him with. He sat up and found that Sumeragi was sitting in the observation room.

"Sumeragi Li Noriega…" He muttered tiredly.

"Hey," Sumeragi said, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired…" Tieria muttered.

"That's to be expected," Sumeragi said, "You've been in there for ten days. We were really worried about you. Destiny especially, she didn't leave your side for a week."

Tieria nodded and shakily stood, "What's going on?" he asked.

"We're at Lagrange three," Sumeragi said, "There were a few support vessels that we needed to pick up and Ian wanted to put a second cockpit in the Seravee for Destiny to use."

Tieria nodded as he sat on the bed again and began removing the bandages from his stomach and right arm.

Sumeragi sighed. According to Destiny, Tieria had not been born human, he had been created from human DNA. And yet the boy had so many scars. Two of them were from gunshot wounds and all of the others looked like the scars that surgery would leave behind. She wanted to know how Tieria had gotten those scars but his health records only went back to 2302 and there had been no reports of any surgical procedures in Tieria's records.

She knew how the boy had gotten the gunshot wounds. He had just woken up from the more recent of the two. And the first one he had received during a training mission before they started their interventions. Tieria's gun misfired and he had ended up accidentally shooting himself in the stomach. But she wondered about the other scars, perhaps something had happened to him when he had gone missing four years ago.

"Tieria," She said, "I'm going to bring you your uniform. I'll be right back."

"Alright," Tieria said.

He sighed as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He had always wondered about the scars he had. Ribbons had always referred to them as "superior and perfect" beings. But he always wondered, "If I'm supposedly a perfect being why do I have so many scars?" He thought about the dream he had woken up from and the line, "His body still hold many of the imperfections that plagued him as a child."

He wished that there was someone he could ask about the scars but his health record was clean. And aside from the scar running up his right arm and the two from gunshot wounds, there was no explanation for any of the other scars.

"Tieria?" Sumeragi asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Tieria said, "I was just thinking about something."

"You've been awake for not even ten minutes and you're already thinking about things," Sumeragi said, "Well, I'll let you get dressed. There are a few people that want to see you."

"Alright," Tieria said. His glaze still locked on to his reflection in the mirror.

"Tieria," Sumeragi said, "We can do something about the scars if they bother you."

"You don't have to," Tieria said as he pulled his navy blue undershirt on, "The scars don't' bother me. They're proof that perhaps I wasn't created by the bastard Ribbons."

"Okay," Sumeragi said. Sometimes it was hard to tell what the purple haired Meister was thinking. She left the room and sighed, /Why does he have to be so damn cryptic?/ she thought. A few minutes later Tieria emerged from the medical room, "Are you all set?"

"Yeah," Tieria said, "What is our current status with the Gundams."

"The Double-0, Cherudim and Arios are good to go," Sumeragi said, "The Seravee is currently undergoing major repairs. It was heavily damaged while Destiny was trying to get you back as fast as she could."

"So I take it nothing much happened while I was unconscious." Tieria said.

"Nope," Sumeragi said, "We were ambushed once but other than that it's been too quiet."

"They're planning something," Tieria said.

"That's what I'm thinking too," Sumeragi said, "After we leave this base will be completely destroyed."

"That sounds like a good idea," Tieria said.

"Oh before I forget," Sumeragi said, "One of the medics here just wants to make sure that your body is healing properly after what you've been through. She just wants to make sure that there are no permanent ill effects."

"Alright," Tieria said.

"You do remember where the medical room is right?"

"Yeah," Tieria said.

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "I'll let you be on your way then."

"Thanks."

* * *

Tieria made his way to the medical bay alone. It had been a while since he had wandered the corridors of Krung Thep however, nothing had changed in his absence.

He entered the medical room and was met by a familiar woman with lavender hair and maroon eyes.

"Anew?" He asked, "Anew Returner?"

"Yes?" She responded, "Ah you must be Tieria Erde. It's nice to finally meet you. Are you well?"

"Anew," Tieria said, "We've meet before remember? That bastard Ribbons Alamark had me locked up and you would often care for me when I fell ill."

"I'm sorry," Anew said, "You must be thinking of someone else. I've never met you before and I've never heard of a man by the name of Ribbons Alamark. Although it's funny the girl Destiny said the same exact thing to me."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Tieria said vacantly. Then it clicked /Ribbons must have erased her memories. It's the only explanation…just how does he plan on carrying out his plan?/

"Is everything alright?" Anew asked.

"Yeah," Tieria responded.

"Alright," Anew said, "I'll need you to remove the shirts you have on and lie down on the bed so I can start the exam. I heard about what you've been through and I just want to make sure that the treatments are working. It'll be a quick check-up and if everything is in order you'll be free to go after."

"And if not?" Tieria asked as he removed the top of his uniform and rested on the bed like Anew had told him to.

"It depends on how bad it is," Anew said as she started the check-up, "But it doesn't seem as though that will be a problem. Everything looks like it's in order. Your weight is almost back to where it was four years ago. There's no permanent damage or any trace of cell destroying nano-machines." She ended the check-up and opened the capsule, "Well Erde-san, you have full clearance to pilot once again and you're free to go."

"Thank you Anew," Tieria said as he started to put his uniform back on.

"You're welcome," She said as the door opened, "Oh Lyle-san, what are you doing here?"

"I just came to say hi," He said. He looked over at Tieria and once again got a glimpse of the scars on the smaller Meister's abdomen, "Tieria…" He said softly, "I owe you an apology. I didn't know you were being sincere."

"It's alright," Tieria said, "I don't blame you for not trusting me. I was fighting with the enemy for four years and I said and did some terrible things to you. If I had been in your position, I would have done the same thing. Please excuse me."

"Okay," Lyle said as Tieria left the room, "He's a strange one."

"I think he's just cautious," Anew said, "The people who captured him are still out there and it seems as though they nearly took him again. Give him some time, he's been through a lot."

* * *

Tieria made his way to the dining hall. If the meal schedule hadn't changed in the past five years or so the kitchen crew would be cleaning up from lunch. He entered the room and was met by Marie.

"Ah Tieria-san," Marie greeted with a smile, "I'm glad you're feeling better. Can I help you with anything?"

"I was looking to get something to eat," Tieria said.

"Ah hold on," Marie said, "I'll get Allelujah, unless you want to make something yourself."

"I can't cook very well," Tieria said.

"Alright," Marie said, "I'll be right back."

"Thank you," Tieria said as he sat down at the table.

"Tieria!" Allelujah exclaimed as he walked into the main dining room, "I'm so glad you're alright! How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm feeling well thank you," Tieria said, "Is there anything left over from lunch?"

"Destiny said that you would be waking up sometime in the early afternoon so we put something aside for you," Allelujah said, "I'll go get it."

"Thank you Allelujah," Tieria said.

A few minutes later Allelujah walked out of the kitchen with a tray for Tieria, "Here you are," He said, "So what exactly happened to you on the last mission?"

"The man who captured me four years ago is the one behind everything," Tieria said, "One my former subordinates shot me twice when I was trying to escape. But what I can't seem to understand is the person who shot me called out to me using quantum brainwaves while I was still unconscious. She wanted to know if I was alright."

"The person who shot you wanted to know if you were alright?" Allelujah asked, "That doesn't make any sense. Why would she do that?"

"I don't know," Tieria said, "Perhaps it has something to do with the strange dreams I've been having. Every so often I have a dream where I hear names that I've never heard before and yet sound so familiar."

"I think Destiny-san has been going through something similar," Allelujah said.

"She has been," Tieria said, "We've discussed it several times but we can't seem to find any explanation for any of it. When I was unconscious that person called out to me…and it was odd. It was the first time someone called out to me using quantum brainwaves while I was unconscious."

"I'm surprised that that person was able to contact you through quantum brainwaves," Allelujah said, "I'm not able to detect any trace quantum brainwaves from you. Marie," Allelujah called, "Are you able to detect Tieria's quantum brainwaves?"

"Not really," Marie said, "Which is odd because I can detect them from Destiny-san. Destiny-san's quantum brainwaves are easy to detect but Tieria-san's are much more difficult to detect. It's almost as if they're inactive."

"I suffered a head injury during Fallen Angels," Tieria said, "Could that have anything to do with it?"

"I think so," Marie said, "Allelujah also suffered a head injury during that battle and his quantum brainwaves are more difficult to detect."

"You shouldn't worry about it so much Tieria," Allelujah said, "I'm sure you'll figure everything out once we're able to re-claim Veda."

"I hope so," Tieria said, "Thanks for everything Allelujah."

"Where are you going?" Allelujah asked.

"I'm going to go take a shower," Tieria said, "Then I'm going to go find Destiny."

"Okay," Allelujah said, "I'm glad you're feeling better Tieria." He sighed as Tieria left the room, "He has it so hard but in a way I can relate a bit…I can't remember my childhood before I woke in the Super Human Institute Research Facility."

"Allelujah…"

"I want to help him," Allelujah said, "But I don't know how."

"You can be there for him the way Destiny-san and Neil-san are," Marie said.

"I just wish that Tieria would open up to me a bit more," Allelujah said, "He's so distant."

"I don't think so," Marie said, "He was able to confide what he was feeling with you. I just think he has trouble trying to describe what he's truly feeling. But Tieria-san seems like a kind person."

"He is kind in his own ways." Allelujah replied.

"I hope he finds the answers he's looking for," Marie said.

"I do too," Allelujah said, "But I have a bad feeling that by the time he finds his answers, it'll be too late…"

* * *

Tieria had a lot to think about as the warm water hit him. He needed to figure out why Hilling seemed so worried about him that time. He needed to figure out just who Jori was and why she had such a strong connection to both him and Destiny. He sighed as he started to wash some the dried blood off his arm and stomach. He found that the scars on his arm and stomach were still a touch sensitive. It wasn't painful to say it was more like putting light pressure on a fading bruise.

He was just about to shut the water off when an almost paralyzing pain shot through his head as GN-particles surrounded him. "What…what is this…?" He muttered as he held his head and tried to keep himself from losing consciousness.

* * *

In one of the other mobile suit hangars, Destiny gasped as the GN-Particles affected her as well. She could feel Tieria's pain and anguish as if it was her own.

"Tieria!" She cried.

"Wish-san what's wrong?" One of the mechanics called.

"I don't know," She responded, "But I have to go I'll be back in a bit!"

"What's up with her?" The mechanic asked.

"She might have quantum brainwaves," Another mechanic said, "I heard the GN-Particles can affect them."

* * *

Destiny ran through the halls of Krung Thep. The particles were affecting her ability to locate Tieria. She could feel several other quantum brainwave signatures that were more powerful than Tieria's signature was. She knew that Anew Returner was in the Medical room. Allelujah Haptism was in a separate hangar running tests on the GN-Archer in Linda's absence. Marie Parfacy was in the observation room overlooking the Ptolemaios. But she couldn't locate the signature she was most familiar with.

/Tieria!/ She called out, /Where are you?/

But there was no response. She didn't think there would be. She didn't expect Tieria to know how to respond and if he was in as much pain as she thought he was in, then she didn't think that responding would be high on his priorities. Then everything just stopped. She couldn't feel Tieria's emotions. She couldn't locate Anew, Marie or Allelujah anymore but she could locate Tieria.

She sighed as she started walking towards the shower rooms. She would meet up with Tieria there.

* * *

Tieria sighed as he held his aching head. The pain he was experiencing was almost like the one he would experience whenever Ribbons tried to force his way into his mind. And yet it was different. The numbness absent. Then the lightheadedness receded as the GN-Particles did but the terrible headache held strong.

He slowly got out of the shower, dried himself off then got dressed. He was exhausted for some reason but then again the medication from the medical capsule was probably still in his system and he had a feeling that the onslaught of GN-Particles hadn't helped the matter any. He entered the main corridor and someone threw their arms around his neck.

"Tieria!" Destiny cried as she uncharacteristically threw herself at Tieria, "Are you alright?"

"D-Destiny…" Tieria gasped as he nearly fell over.

"I'm sorry," She mumbled into his shoulder, "I could feel your pain when the GN-Particles affected me, and I panicked. I thought you were in trouble…what happened?"

"I don't know," Tieria muttered, "My head started to pound all of a sudden and it felt almost as if Ribbons was trying to control me again…but it was different..."

"Are you alright?" Destiny asked as released Tieria.

Tieria shook his head, "I want to lie down for a while," He said softly, "I'm tired and my head still hurts."

"Okay," Destiny said, "I'll stay with you."

"I thought you were helping with the repairs to the Seravee?" Tieria asked.

"We're just about done," Destiny said, "We were just making sure the new system is in working order. The mechanics can manage without me."

Tieria nodded and leaned against Destiny as they made their way to the Meister's quarters.

* * *

So, how exactly did Tieria get all the scars and what was that little vision all about? Well, I can't tell ya yet but hang in there, those explanations will surface…eventually. And Lyle, was his apology sincere? Or did Neil guilt-trip him into it? Eh one way or another, he apologized. So what's gonna happen now…(even I don't know the answer to that one, how sad…dammit Shark, you're the author!) I digress well until next time! Ja ne!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	17. Searching for Answers

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back! And it's only been about a month. I am slowly getting back into writing and with just a week left in the semester, I'll have more time to write (I just hope I'm more productive this winter break!) I don't have much to say about this chapter so you can get started right away! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (With Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle (though she seems to have gone missing) are mine.

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: Searching for Answers

Destiny sighed as she sat in Tieria's darkened room. Tieria's headache had reached migraine pitch as they were making their way to the Meister's quarters. So he was now lying in his bed, he had a cool compress on his forehead to try and alleviate some of the pain, and all the lights were off. Destiny didn't know if he had fallen asleep or not, she didn't want to disturb him. She was kind of hoping that he had fallen asleep. She had a feeling that if he slept a bit he would feel better when he woke. However if Tieria had been asleep he was woken up when the door opened.

"Tieria!" Neil exclaimed. He then realized that Tieria was lying in bed, "Oh, what's wrong?" He asked Destiny.

"He's not feeling very well right now." Destiny responded softly, "He's still groggy from the medical capsule and the GN-Particles gave him a bad headache."

"I see…" Neil said.

"What do you need Tieria for?" Destiny asked.

"That girl Anew from the medical room wanted to see Tieria again." Neil said.

A feeling of dread washed over Destiny, "What for?" She asked almost fearful for the answer.

"It's not anything bad," Neil said, "But she's worried that Tieria will start to develop withdrawal symptoms."

"From what?" Destiny asked, "The tranquilizers Ribbons had him on should be completely out of system by now. Vashti-san said that the withdrawal would have occurred during the week and a half he was unconscious."

"Apparently Anew was able to get Tieria's health records from where he was being held during the past four years," Neil said, "The guy who took him injected Tieria with the same tranquilizers that our medical capsules use every night for four years. Tieria had an almost lethal dose of the stuff in his bloodstream when we got him back."

"Th-that bastard!" Destiny exclaimed quietly as everything made sense to her, "He knew that Veda was going to allow the self-destruct mechanism on Tieria's mobile suit. So I'll bet he injected Tieria with the medicine before we left knowing that Tieria would be severely injured in the blast. He was figuring that we would put him in a medical capsule to deal with his injuries…pushing the dosage to the lethal level so that…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She was mortified as to just how close to death Tieria had come.

"Tieria would die from cardiac arrest due to drug overdose while in the capsule," Neil said, "Something that even the intensive care capsules would not have been able to prevent. I bet that that Ribbons guy planned it so that Tieria wouldn't have died right away, it would have taken about eight hours so…"

"He would have died in the middle of the night when there was no one around…" Destiny muttered, "We would have walked into the medical room and found him dead the next morning with no warning or explanation…"

"We're lucky that Tieria managed to wake up despite medical treatment," Neil said.

"No…" Destiny muttered, "No…that wasn't Tieria. There was no way that Tieria would have woken up on his own with the wound, fever and the tranquilizers in his system." Then something clicked in her mind, "Veda forced Tieria to consciousness then kept him conscious…she knew what Ribbons was up to…but why weren't his eyes gold? His eyes were garnet the entire time…unless she granted him full linkage…"

"Full linkage?" Neil asked, "I'm not sure I understand what that means. The kid never really explained his connection to Veda to the rest of us."

"Full linkage is what Veda grants to an innovator just before death," Destiny explained, "Just as an innovator's heart stops their consciousness becomes one with Veda…I didn't think I could be done while an Innovator was still alive…"

"You…lost me…" Neil said.

"Basically Veda took complete control over Tieria's consciousness," Destiny said, "During that twenty or so minutes Tieria wasn't Tieria…he was Veda. That explains why he didn't remember being rescued…"

"I…see," Neil said, "I still don't get it…"

"Veda saved him again…" Destiny murmured as tears came to her eyes, "She…didn't want him to die…"

"Why do you always refer to Veda as "She"?" Neil asked, "Tieria used to do that all the time too."

"Well," Destiny said, "Veda is like our mother. She 'birthed' us."

"Okay then," Neil said, "Well I'm going to return to the medical room to tell Anew that Tieria's asleep and to get some aspirin, you gave me a headache."

"Sorry," Destiny said, "I'll let Tieria know that Anew wants to see him again when he wakes."

"Thanks Des," Neil said as he left the room.

Destiny sighed as she looked around the dark room. It was apparent that some of Tieria's old belongings were still in the room. She opened one of the desk drawers and found a small photo album. She opened it and found pictures of Tieria with some of his comrades. There were pictures of him and the other Meisters, a few with him and a black-haired man she didn't recognize and another picture of Tieria and a young brown-haired girl she could only assume was a younger Mileina Vashti.

She sighed as she noticed that Tieria looked less than thrilled and almost angry in most of the photos. /I wonder what he was like before I met him/ She thought, /The Tieria I know doesn't look like the Tieria in these pictures…The Tieria I know…/ She looked over at Tieria and sighed, /Seems much weaker than the Tieria in these photographs…/

* * *

Tieria woke up a while later feeling better. His headache was gone, he wasn't feeling weak or groggy anymore and when he sat up he wasn't nearly overcome with dizziness. He found Destiny asleep as his desk and a pang of guilt hit him. /She didn't sleep again because of me/ He though, /She needs to stop doing that./

He got out of bed and replaced his jacket. He walked up to the desk and nudged Destiny on the shoulder, "Destiny," He called as he tried to wake her up, "Destiny, wake up."

The blue haired girl stirred and moaned a bit before opening her eyes. "Tieria-kun," She said as she rubbed her eyes, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling much better today," Tieria said, "What time is it?"

"I don't know," Destiny said, "But you slept through the night. It was nearly midnight the last time I checked."

"You should have gone back to your room," Tieria said, "I didn't need you to watch me all night again. Sumeragi told me that you hardly left my side while I was undergoing treatment for the gunshot wound."

"I can't help it," Destiny said, "I worry about you sometimes. You've come a lot closer to death than you realize."

"What do you mean?" Tieria asked.

"Anew-chan managed to get your health records from when Ribbons was holding you hostage," Destiny said, "Ribbons had been injecting you with a tranquilizer every night while you were there. When Celestial Being rescued you, you had an almost lethal dose of the same medication that the medical capsules use…If Veda hadn't forced you to consciousness…you would have died."

"Na…Nani…?" Tieria gasped. What Destiny had just told him had hit him hard and he wasn't quite sure which part of it to question first, "Veda forced me to consciousness…?"

"It's the only explanation," Destiny said, "There was no way you could have woken up on your own. I think she may have granted you full linkage…"

Tieria gasped. Full linkage was something that was only supposed to occur upon death, "Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes," Destiny said, "You couldn't have woken up on your own…you were severely injured, you were running a temperature and you had a nearly fatal dose of tranquilizers in your blood…there was no way you would have woken up on your own." She paused, "And…do you honestly remember having the piece of shrapnel removed from your side?"

Tieria thought for a bit, "No, I don't," He responded, "The first thing I remember activating the self-destruct was waking up in the medical room and having Linda ask me to pick a color."

"That's the main reason why I think Veda granted you full linkage," Destiny said, "Neil-san told you once before that that he had survived…I think you would have remembered that regardless…"

"But I didn't think that full linkage could be granted in a situation like that," Tieria said.

"Neither did I," Destiny said, "Your eyes remained garnet too…they never turned gold. It makes sense Tieria-kun…from my standpoint, everything adds up…"

Tieria sighed, "I'll take you word on this," He said, "You do know more about it than I do."

"Okay," Destiny said, "Oh before I forget, Anew-chan wants to see you again. It's nothing major she just wants to make sure you won't suffer from withdrawal."

"Why would that happen?" Tieria asked.

"You've been on the same tranquilizer that the capsules use and Anew-chan just wants to make sure that you won't suffer any ill effects of being on it for ten days," Destiny said, "Although I don't think it will be anything you have to worry about."

"Okay," Tieria said, "I wanted to go to the medical room to check something anyway. I wanted to ask Anew if there are any traces that surgery would leave behind besides the scars…I want to know where they came from."

"I'm sure there is a way to lessen their appearance if they bother you," Destiny said.

"They don't bother me," Tieria said, "To me, they're proof that perhaps I wasn't created by that bastard. They're proof that perhaps I was just a normal human at one point in my life. I mean my health records are clear so why do I have the scars? I wish there was some way to check."

"I doubt you would be able to find anything," Destiny said, "Anything like that would be level seven information…and we wouldn't be able to access it anyway."

"I know," Tieria said as he checked his watch, "We should head down for breakfast."

"Alright," Destiny said as she followed Tieria from the room.

* * *

After an uneventful breakfast Tieria headed to the medical room while Destiny headed to the hangars. He wasn't nervous but he was a bit apprehensive as to what he may or may not find in his medical records. He entered the medical room and Anew immediately greeted him.

"Ah Tieria-san," Anew said, "How are you today?"

"I'm well," He said, "Destiny said that you wanted to see me."

"I just want to make sure that you're not suffering any ill-effects of being in the capsule for ten days. I'm not sure if Destiny-san told you but during the time you had been captured you had developed a slight dependence to the medication that the capsule uses. I just want to make sure that it isn't going to make you sick." She paused, "Neil-san said that you had developed a bad headache yesterday, do you still have a headache?"

"No," Tieria said, "It was gone when I woke up."

"Are you dizzy or nauseous at all?"

"No."

"Okay," Anew said, "Is there anything that's bothering you at all?"

"No," Tieria said, "The areas around where I had been shot are sensitive to the touch but that's about it."

"I expected the tenderness," Anew said, "It will go away in a few days. Well you seem to be in good shape so you're free to go, unless there's something that I can help you with."

"There is something you can help me with," Tieria said, "I want to access my health records as far as they go back. There's something that I want to check."

"Okay," Anew said, "Hold on a second and I'll bring up your records as far back as they go."

"Thank you," Tieria said as Anew started to bring up his file.

"How far back do you want to go?" Anew asked.

"As far back as possible," Tieria said.

"Alright," Anew said as she stood up from the computer she was working with, "Just let me know when you're finished."

"I will," He said as he sat down.

He started to search through his file for anything that could have possibly left such scarring. But just as he thought, he found nothing. He had only undergone medical treatment five times in his life and none of the injuries he had sustained would have left such scars. He was just about to close the file when something caught his eye. There was a short memo on the statistics page that read: "May have health problems." He clicked the memo however it brought up a blank page with no further explanation available.

"Anew," He called, "Do you know what this memo means?"

"Which one?" She asked as she looked over the Meister's shoulder. There were four memos on the page. One denoted Tieria's slight intolerance to dairy, another to the severe intolerance to pain relievers and anesthesia, and the third indicated Tieria's poor vision and need for glasses. Then there was the fourth that mentioned the possibility for health problems. "The one about the health problems?"

"Yeah," Tieria said, "I want to know what it means."

"When you clicked it was there any further information?"

"No," Tieria said, "It was just a blank page."

"That's odd," Anew said as she checked the blank page out, "I'm sorry I don't have an answer. That's really strange that such a memo is in there but there's nothing further."

"Alright," Tieria said, "Thank you for looking."

"You're welcome," She said, "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Yes there's one other thing," Tieria said, "Is there any way that the capsule's scanner can detect traces of surgery?"

"I'm not sure," She asked, "I can check but there's no guarantee that I'll find anything. Why do you ask?"

"There are a few scars that I don't remember ever getting," Tieria said, "And I've had them as long as I can remember but there's one in particular that I want checked."

"I can check," She said, "Where's the scar?"

"It runs straight down the center of my chest," Tieria said as he removed his jacket and shirts.

"Okay," Anew said, "Lie down and I'll start the scan." Tieria did what he was told and Anew started the scan, "I'm sorry, it's not showing anything aside from a bit of scar tissue on your right lung. However the computer is indicating that it's from an injury you sustained four years ago." She ended the scan, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to find anything."

"Don't worry about it," Tieria said as he sat up, "I wasn't expecting you to find anything anyway."

"If you're sure," Anew said, "Have a good day."

* * *

Tieria walked from the medical room and headed towards the hanger that the Seravee was in.

"Ah just the person I wanted to see," Ian said, "We needed to run a few control tests with the Seravee and Seraphim. Hurry and change into your flight suit and we'll start the tests."

"Alright," Tieria said as Destiny handed him his flight suit and he went to go change.

"Okay," Ian said as Tieria walked back into the hangar, "We finally finished the repairs to the Seravee and we need to make sure that everything is in working order. I want to make sure that both cockpits work. We tested the new cockpit while you were still unconscious but we want to run both of them at the same time."

"Sounds good," Tieria said as he entered the cockpit in the Seraphim while Destiny entered the cockpit of the Seravee, "Destiny are you all set?"

"_I'm ready when you are Tieria-kun,"_ Destiny responded.

Tieria nodded slightly, "Seraphim Gundam, Tieria Erde; Seravee Gundam, Destiny Wish, beginning Seravee stand-alone test!" Tieria called as he activated the GN-Drive powering the two Gundams, "Destiny," He called, "Are you able to manipulate the Seravee?"

"_Yes," _Destiny said as she manipulated the Gundam's right arm, _"I am able to utilize the beam sabers and the leg cannons as well."_

"Bring the hands in the cannons out," Tieria ordered, "I'm going to do the same with the Seraphim."

"_Okay," _Destiny responded.

"_It's lookin' good Tieria," _Ian called, _"Try activating Seraphim now. I want to see if Destiny will still have control over the Seravee once the two are separate."_

"Ryoukai," Tieria said, "Seraphim!" On command the small black Gundam disconnected from the massive white Gundam and took it's form, "Destiny, can you still manipulate the Seravee?"

"_Yes," _Destiny responded, _"I have full control of Seravee, weapons and all."_

"_We build at particle condenser into the Seravee," _Ian explained, _"That way you and Destiny can both pilot separate from each other. We also strengthened Seraphim's armor that way we don't get a repeat of what happened with the Nadleeh."_

"Good job Ian," Tieria said, "With this we'll have five Gundams at our disposal."

"_Just remember Tieria," _Ian warned, _"Seraphim is a lot smaller than the other mobile suits. Therefore you _will _take the brunt of shockwaves from the enemy attacks. Sumeragi will have your head if you get seriously injured using Seraphim. You hear me?"_

"I understand," Tieria said as he docked the Seraphim back on the Seravee, "Thank you Ian. You've really gone above and beyond."

"_Who the hell are you and what the hell have you done to Tieria Erde?" _Ian called.

"I think you're supposed to say: "you're welcome."" Tieria said.

"Nope, you're Tieria." Ian said, "Alright, let's finish up here then go for some drinks!"

"I refuse," Tieria said bluntly.

"_Aw come on," _Ian said as the tests ended, _"I'm sure you're old enough to drink. Just have one, it won't kill you."_

"One drink isn't worth the stomachache that will follow," Tieria said, "You should remember what happened the last time you tricked me into getting drunk."

"_Oh that's right…" _ Ian said, _"You were sick for a few days weren't you?"_

"Yes," Tieria said, "Which is why I refuse your offer."

"_Alright," _Ian said, _"I'm sure Sumeragi or one of the Dylandi boys'll drink with me."_

Tieria sighed as he left the cockpit of the Seraphim. Where he met Destiny, "You can go for a drink if you want," He said, "I want to go ask Sumeragi something."

"I don't drink," She said as she removed her helmet, "I might work on the simulator, I don't want to hold you back during a battle."

"Alright," Tieria said. He could see dark stains on Destiny's maroon and gray flight suit. Stains he knew had been left by his blood from when he had been shot, "Have they issued you a new flight suit?" He asked. Normally when a suit was stained like that the pilot was issued a new one.

"They have," Destiny said, "I just grabbed this one by accident."

"Did you keep it because of…what happened the last time you wore it?" Tieria asked.

"Yeah," Destiny mumbled balled her hands against her chest as tear sprung in her eyes, "I seriously thought you were going to die and…I was scared…I didn't want to lose you…you're…"

"I'm alright Destiny," Tieria said as he gently embraced the blue-haired girl as she cried, "Because of you I'm still here."

"I just…don't want anything to happen to you…" Destiny sobbed into Tieria's chest, "I…don't think I would be able to live…you're like my older brother…"

"It's alright," Tieria muttered, "Nothing is going to happen to me." He sighed and hoped that the statement he had just made proved true. He didn't want to leave Destiny alone.

"I don't mean to be blunt but are you two lovers?" Mileina asked as she walked into the hangar.

Destiny almost immediately broke away from Tieria, "N-No," She stuttered.

"Aw I was wrong again?" Mileina asked. She sighed a bit in relief, /Yes! Erde-san is still available!/ She thought happily. "That's the second time! But at least I was right two times as well."

"I know Allelujah-san and Parfacy-san are dating," Destiny said, "Who are the other two?"

"I can't tell you," Mileina said, "She would kill me if I did."

Tieria sighed a bit. He knew who Mileina was referring to. He had a feeling that Feldt had finally confessed her love to Neil. After Neil had gone missing during the first phase of Fallen Angels, he heard that Feldt had been an emotional wreck. Although he hadn't seen the girl after that for himself, he was also struggling to calm his own emotions.

"Alright," Tieria said, "Mileina, do you happen to know where Sumeragi is right now?"

"I think she's in her room," Mileina said, "But I'm not sure. I can page her if you want me to."

"Don't worry about it," Tieria said as he walked towards the door, "I'll find her."

"E-Erde-san!" Mileina exclaimed.

"What is it?" Tieria asked as he turned around.

"I…I'm glad you're feeling better," She mumbled as he face flushed with embarrassment. Although, she wasn't sure if she was blushing just from embarrassment or if it was because of the huge crush she had on the stoic purple haired Meister.

"Thank you Mileina," Tieria said as he left the room.

"You really like Tieria-kun don't you Mileina-chan?" Destiny asked.

"Eh?" Mileina gasped as he face turned redder still, "Wha-what makes you say that?"

"You blush whenever he's in the room," Destiny said, "Don't worry Mileina-chan, your secret is safe with me."

"Wish-san," Mileina mumbled, "You like Erde-san as well don't you?"

"I do," Destiny said, "But it's different with me. To me Tieria-kun is like my older brother. I don't like him the same way you do."

Mileina smiled, "That's good," Mileina said, "I didn't want to have to compete with you over Erde-san. He's very close to you."

Destiny giggled a bit, "I wish you luck Mileina-chan."

"Thanks."

* * *

Tieria walked to Sumeragi's quarters and hit the page button. And just as Mileina had said Sumeragi was indeed there.

"_Who is it_?" Sumeragi called.

"Tieria."

"_Hold on," _Sumeragi said as she opened the door, "Tieria what do you need?"

"Earlier I looked into my health records and I found something that confused me," Tieria said, "There was a memo that said that I might experience health problems. Do you have any idea what that might mean?"

"I don't think I can help you there Tieria," Sumeragi said, "I wasn't a member of Celestial Being when you started. Ian might be able to help you, though he started here a bit before you did."

"I'll ask him later," Tieria said, "He went for a drink."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to help."

"Don't worry about it," Tieria said, "If I don't know what happened in my past I don't expect anyone else to."

Sumeragi sighed as Tieria walked away. She felt bad for the boy. He had no idea what had happened to him before he started working for Celestial Being. /I hope he finds his answers soon/ She thought.

* * *

Oh boy, for a filler chapter a lot happened didn't it? So, is Destiny right about how Tieria managed to wake up when they first got him back to Ptolemaios? Or was it just some crazy fluke that caused Tieria to wake up despite what he was going through? We may never know…And will poor Tieria ever find the answers he's looking for before it's too late? The next chapter will have more action, I promise. Until next time minna-san! Ja ne!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	18. Cryptic Responses

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back! And it's only been a little over a month but I've been busy working on other fics and fan-art so I lost track of time. Not to mention the holidays…but things have slowed down enough for me to get this chapter written. There's not much for me to say about this so you can get started right away.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (With Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle (though she seems to have gone missing but she'll make a comeback…eventually…) are mine.

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: Cryptic Responses

A few hours later Tieria found Ian and Linda in one of the hangars.

"Ian, can I ask you something?" Tieria asked.

"Go right ahead Tieria," Ian said.

"Do you remember if I had any sort of health problems when I was first hired by Celestial Being?" Tieria asked, "You're the only person who would have been around at that time."

Ian sighed, "Tieria, you were a mess when you first came to Celestial Being," He said, "Many of us thought you being sent as a Meister was a joke."

"What do you mean?" Tieria asked. He hoped that perhaps with this he would figure something out about his past.

"We were told that you were reacting badly to the nano-machines they had injected you with," Ian said, "You were sick and bedridden for several weeks and we were nearly forced to reject you as a Meister. But then you started to gradually recover and it was as if it had never happened."

"So that explains the memo in my health records," Tieria said.

"The agent that escorted you here told us that there was a good chance that you would be physically weak and sickly. But the agent wouldn't go into much detail," Ian said, "So that memo was added to your health file as a precaution. However the agent was completely wrong about you, you've never been sickly or physically weak. You've always been the exact opposite."

"Did the agent say anything about me having to undergo any kind of surgical procedure?" Tieria asked.

"I can't help you there," Ian said, "The agent basically dropped you off, said "good luck with him," and left."

Tieria sighed. He had at least figured out one of the mysteries surrounding his past but it wasn't enough. "Thank you Ian," Tieria said.

"You should probably gather up your belongings and head back to the Ptolemaios," Linda said, "You'll be leaving in a little while."

"You won't be coming with us?" Tieria asked.

"There are several projects that I have to oversee," Linda said, "So I'll be heading off to another location after this base is destroyed. Although Anew Returner will be filling in on the Ptolemaios in my place and I'm confident in her abilities."

Tieria sighed, "It will be a little bit hard to see this base destroyed," He said, "I called this place home for about five years."

"I know what you mean," Ian said, "This is where I met Linda for the first time."

"Think about how hard it will be for Feldt and Mileina," Linda said, "They were both born here."

"That's right," Tieria said, "We'll all just have to find a new place to call home."

Linda nodded, "You should hurry," she said, "All the others have already begun preparing for departure."

"Alright," Tieria said, "Thank you Ian."

"You're welcome," Ian called as Tieria left the hangar.

"_I need the Ptolemaios crew members and Meisters to the bridge immediately," _Sumeragi called as Tieria made his way back to his quarters at Krung Thep. He silently complied and hurried back to the Ptolemaios.

* * *

When Tieria got to the bridge he found that despite not being on the ship when the announcement was made he was one of the first to respond.

When the others arrived Feldt brought up an image of a large crater on Earth's surface.

"What…what happened?" Sumeragi gasped. She had never seen anything like the image she was now staring at.

"Based on the abnormal heat readings around the area of the crater," Feldt said, "This was caused by some sort of satellite weapon."

"This was caused by a satellite weapon?" Sumeragi asked in disbelief.

"It was probably a device that used the solar power system," Feldt said, "Although we still don't have much information."

"What was the target?" Lasse asked.

"The Middle East," Feldt said, "Suille."

"Suille's gone…?" Setsuna asked as he too stared at the image.

Tieria felt sick to his stomach as he looked at the crater that was once a city. He knew exactly who had the resources and power to do such as thing. "This is the A-Laws'…" He started, "No…this is Ribbons Alamark's way of carrying out the plan?"

"Sumeragi-san," Allelujah said, "We're going to do something about this right?"

"Yes," Sumeragi said, "As soo as the repairs are finished we will head out…We can't ignore this at all. Our new mission is to eliminate the Federation's satellite weapon. I need all of you to finish with the resupply and whatever needs to get done before we can depart."

"Hold on," Tieria called. He couldn't keep what he had uncovered a secret any longer. The rest of his comrades needed to know what he had found, "Before we go there's something everyone needs to know. The Federation is being manipulated by a man who wants the world under his control."

"A man who wants to control the world?" Ian asked.

Lyle cast Tieria a suspicious look, "And how exactly did you come across this information?"

"The person behind it all is the person who made my life a living hell for nearly five years," Tieria said, "He's the leader of a group of people who call themselves Innovators, Ribbons Alamark."

"Innovators?" Neil asked, "You and Destiny have mentioned that group before but you've never gone into much detail. What are the Innovators?"

"Innovators are living terminals created by Veda," Destiny said, "Innovators possess quantum brainwaves and a direct link to Veda. Most of them consider themselves to be far superior to humans…"

"Living terminal created by Veda called Innovators," Setsuna muttered back.

"So they're the ones giving the twisted orders," Ian said, "They feel no remorse for mass murdering innocent people. And they also have Veda at their disposal…"

"That would mean back when we began our armed interventions five years ago…" Allelujah started.

"They were already interfering with things," Lyle said.

"Trinity," Sumeragi muttered, "They had three Gundams Thrones doing armed interventions as well. These people must have also been the ones who supplied the United Nations with the thirty GN-X units equipped with pseudo GN-Drives."

"In other words," Lasse said, "These guys went and changed Aeolia's plan."

"And because of that Chris, Lichty and Doctor Moreno were killed," Feldt said.

"Not to mention the fact that Tieria was tortured for four years," Neil said.

"Why did you wait so long to tell us something this important?" Lyle asked.

"It's not like he had much of a choice but to wait," Neil said, "Sure it's been nearly two weeks since he found out but you need to remember, Tieria spent a week and a half undergoing medical treatment for two gunshot wounds. There was no way he could have told us this while he was unconscious."

"They said they were the ones carrying out Aeolia Schenberg's plan," Tieria said, "If what that man said to me is true…then it would possibly make _us _guilty of heresy…and that _we're_ the ones straying from the original plan…"

"That can't be…!" Sumeragi gasped.

"She's right," Allelujah exclaimed, "They created the A-Laws to slaughter dissident groups! There's no way real peace could ever be attained through such atrocious methods!"

"I'll destroy them." Setsuna said suddenly, "I'll defeat the A-Laws and eliminate the Innovators. I'll do it…through my own will."

"I'm with you, Setsuna," Lasse said.

"Me too," Lyle said.

"Count me in!" Mileina said. /I'll do anything to help Erde-san/ she thought to herself.

"You're right," Ian said.

"We need to get these bastards back for what they did to Tieria," Neil said, "Right Destiny?"

"Of course," She said with a smile.

Tieria's eyes widened. He knew that he should have been pleased to hear his comrades backing him up so whole heartedly after what he had been through in the past four years. And he knew that he should have happy knowing that he was no longer alone in his fight against Ribbons Alamark but he was unsettled…he was also an Innovator. Would his friends turn on him in the end? "You should all know that I am also like them…I'm also an-"

"I think I know what you're getting at," Sumeragi said as she placed her hand on Tieria's shoulder, "But right now our objective is the Satellite weapon."

"Sumeragi Li Noriega…" Tieria gasped.

"You'll always be one of us, Tieria," She said, "We would never turn on you, regardless."

Tieria felt a bit more at ease hearing that but he was still apprehensive. "Thank you," he said softly as he smiled weakly.

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "We won't be staying here much longer so do what you need to do then report back here."

* * *

After the meeting Destiny returned to the room Tieria used while in the base. She was trying to sort through some of Tieria's old belongings. He didn't own much at all and she wasn't sure if he wanted to keep any of it or not. As she was digging through a box she had found in one of the closets she came across a rather aged and small notebook. She opened the notebook and found that it was in a language that she couldn't understand however there were several names that stuck out to her, Jori and Tieria.

/What is this?/ Destiny thought, /Could this little notebook be the key to figuring out who Jori is?/

"There you are Destiny."

Destiny quickly pocketed the small book and stood up, "Tieria," she said, "What is it?"

"We'll be leaving in a little over an hour," He said, "We should get back to the ship."

"Okay," Destiny said, "I found this in one of the closets. Do you want any of it?"

"You can take it if you want to," Tieria said, "I'm not even sure what's in there anymore."

"Alright," Destiny said, "Before I forget," She pulled the small notebook out of her pocket, "Do you have any idea what this says?"

Tieria took the small book, "_Cahier de Renée Claire Thibault-Rioux,_" He read, "I believe it means Renée Claire Thibault-Rioux's notebook. Where did you find this?"

"I was in with your things," Destiny said, "It was at the bottom of the box. Do you know a person by that name?"

"No," Tieria said, "I've never heard that name before. Although I think I did hear it in a dream while I was still unconscious…but I'm not sure."

"Maybe this little book will have all the answers we're looking for," Destiny said.

"I don't know it just seems too easy," Tieria muttered as he handed the book back to Destiny.

"You never know," Destiny said as she handed the book back to Tieria, "You keep it, I can't read it." She picked up the box, "I already moved the rest of your belongings to the Ptolemaios for you."

"You didn't have to do that," Tieria said as he tried to take the box from Destiny, "I could have gotten it myself."

"You're still on orders for limited physical activity," Destiny said, "You can still pilot the Seravee if need be but you still need to take it easy. Remember the capsules will only heal an injury about ninety percent leaving your body to recover the other ten percent naturally. Your wounds may be feeling better but they're not completely healed yet."

Tieria sighed and flipped through the little book. He was fluent in French but at times the French was intertwined with what he thought was German. Despite that his last name was the German word for Earth, Tieria hardly knew any German at all. He knew enough of the language to be able to communicate should he ever find himself lost in a German speaking country but he wasn't at all fluent in the language.

"Is that little book of any help?" Destiny asked.

"Not really," Tieria said, "I can read the parts in French however every so often it changes to German."

"Your last name is the German word for Earth and you can't read German?" Destiny asked. Tieria shook his head, "That's really odd. Ah Parfacy-san," Destiny greeted as the silver-haired woman walked up to them, "Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Allelujah wanted to talk to Tieria about something," Marie said, "He's in the briefing room on the Ptolemaios."

"Alright," Tieria said, "Destiny can you manage that on your own?"

"What did I tell you earlier?" Destiny asked, "You're not supposed to be straining yourself today. Go meet up with Haptism-san."

"Alright," Tieria said as he walked off.

* * *

Allelujah was reviewing some of the mission data when Tieria entered the room. "How are you feeling?" He asked, "You looked rather tired when I saw you yesterday."

"I'm feeling better," Tieria said, "Marie said that you wanted to see me. What did you need?"

"I wanted to ask you if anything happened to you yesterday when they were testing the Double-0 Raiser," Allelujah said, "I really can't remember what happened at all. All I know is that I had a really bad headache afterwards. Destiny told me that she could feel your distress and she could feel everyone who possessed quantum brainwaves except you. Marie said that she could sense Colonel Smirnov. So, what happened to you?"

"It felt as though I was being controlled again," Tieria said, "I was extremely lightheaded and the pain in my head was unlike anything I ever felt before. I thought I was going to faint."

"I'm a little worried as to what might happen when Setsuna activates that power during a battle," Allelujah said, "If you start feeling faint in the middle of a fight, we may be in trouble."

"If that was to happen then I could give control to Destiny," Tieria said, "She would take over until I was able to pilot again."

"It's good that you have someone to rely on," Allelujah said, "Out of all of us here, you need it the most."

Tieria was about to respond when a sharp pain shot through his head. He grabbed his head and slumped to his knees.

"Tieria!" Allelujah called as he rushed to aid the smaller Meister, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know…" Tieria muttered as he continued to hold his head, "All of a sudden…my head…"

Allelujah paused for a minute. He could feel the faint traces of quantum brainwaves. /Is he suffering from some sort of quantum brainwave interference?/ he thought. "Are you alright?" He asked as Tieria stood.

"I'm alright now," Tieria said he still had the traces of a headache, "I don't know what that was."

"I could feel traces of quantum brainwaves but it was different from when Soma Peries' quantum brainwaves would affect me," Allelujah said, "Tieria, I'm really worried about you. Ever since we rescued you, you've been acting differently. I mean after what you went through there was no way you would stay the same but…I'm sorry…it's hard to explain…"

"I think I understand what you're trying to say," Tieria said, "I went through hell and back during the four years I was held prisoner and it still haunts me. I'm afraid to open my eyes some mornings. I'm afraid that I'll wake up and find that the last few weeks were all just a dream and I've really been at the hell hole. When I'm piloting I almost half expect that bastard to take control of my body the way he would nearly every time I was forced to sortie. I know none of that will happen, but I can't help living with that fear…"

Allelujah walked up to Tieria and placed his hand on the smaller Meister's back, "That's not going to happen," he said, "You're back where you belong. Those people, the Innovators, are no longer just Tieria Erde's enemy, they're _Celestial Being's _enemy now. You're not alone in this battle anymore Tieria, we're all here for you. It's like Sumeragi-san said, you'll always be one of us."

"Thank you Allelujah," Tieria said with a weak smile.

Then the entire ship was rocked violently causing Tieria to lose his balance and hit his right arm against the wall he was standing against. He cried out as a sharp pain shot through his arm.

"Tieria!" Allelujah cried out as Tieria clutched his arm, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Tieria muttered through clenched teeth, "We're being attacked. We should head to our Gundams."

"Tieria, you look like you're in pain," Allelujah said, "You should go to the sick bay. It looks like the arm where you got shot is bothering you quite a bit."

"If we're under attack…I have to fight," Tieria said as he tried to keep the pain out of his voice, "I can't abandon everyone after what they did for me."

"But Tieria if you're in pain…your ability to fight will be hindered," Allelujah said, "What happens if the pain gets to be too much?"

"I'll have Destiny take over," Tieria said, "I'll be alright."

"Please, be careful Tieria," Allelujah said as he parted ways with Tieria.

* * *

As Tieria changed into his flight suit he found that the still healing wound on his arm had started to bleed again. He took out the small first aid kit he kept in one the pockets of his suit. He then carefully applied a bacitracin to the wound then wrapped the wound. He then finished changing and walked out into the hangar.

"Are you all set?" Destiny asked.

"Yeah," Tieria said trying to his voice strong.

"Are you alright?" Destiny asked, "You look kind of pale. Are you feeling okay?"

"I hit my arm on something during the first round of attacks," Tieria said, "It's just a bit painful."

"Alright," Destiny said, "If it gets to be too much for you I'll take over."

"Alright," Tieria said as he entered Seraphim's cockpit. He placed his glasses in the small compartment and a put his helmet on, "Destiny are you ready?"

"_I'm all set," _Destiny said.

"Alright," Tieria said, "Seravee, Tieria Erde and Destiny Wish, ikimasu. Destiny, our objective is to protect the Ptolemaios."

"_Ryoukai," _Destiny called, _"Just let me know what you want me to do."_

"Fire at will for now," Tieria said as several enemy mobile relieved themselves, "I'll be sending instructions through the monitor. It'll be quicker that way."

"_Tieria!" _Sumeragi called through the communications lines, _"There's an enemy squadron heading your way!" _

"Destiny,"Tieria called, "Transfer Seravee's main weapon control to me. I'm going to use the Twin buster cannon. Keep the leg cannons at the ready, we may need to use them. We're going to use the Twin Buster Cannon to destroy the meteor in, then we'll take out the squad with the regular weapons."

"_Ryoukai," _Destiny called as did what she was told, _"Hold on Tieria-kun,_" She called as she noticed something about the meteor, _"That's not a meteor, that's a Mobile Suit! Wait for the enemy squadron to get closer then we'll fire the Twin Buster Cannon and the Leg Cannons at the same time."_

"Alright," Tieria said as he placed his hand on the trigger, "Let me know when I should fire."

Destiny watched as the small squadron got closer. She waited until the enemies were right behind the meteor, "Now Tieria-kun!"

Tieria fired the Twin Buster Cannon as Destiny fired the Leg cannons. And just as Destiny said the meteor dissolved revealing a purple and red mobile suit. The mobile suit brought up a GN-Field however thanks to Destiny's suggestion the mobile was only able to deflect the shots from the Twin Buster Cannon. The shots from the leg cannons hit their mark.

"That mobile suit…" Tieria gasped.

"_It's an Innovator type_," Destiny said, "_Be careful!_"

"Fire at will Destiny," Tieria ordered, "We can't let it get to the Ptolemaios!"

"_Ryoukai!" _Destiny called as she fired at the Garazzo. She then noticed the cloud of smoke surrounding the Double-0, _"Tieria-kun, Setsuna-san is in trouble!"_

"We're a little busy ourselves here," Tieria said as the Garazzo quickly approached the Seravee, "Dammit, we can't avoid him…" He grimaced at the enemy mobile suit kicked the Seravee in the chest, "I-Impossible…" He gasped, /It's powerful…/ "Are you alright, Destiny?"

"_I'm fine_," She called.

"We need to keep it away from the Ptolemy!" Tieria called, "Keep bombarding it!"

"_Ryoukai!"_ Destiny called as she kept firing.

"It keeps dodging!" Tieria cried as the Garazzo, "Destiny transfer main weapons control to me again! It's a melee type."

"_Okay," _Destiny responded.

/I need to keep its hands busy/ Tieria thought as Seravee locked hands with the enemy mobile suit, "Are you trying to overpower Seravee?" He called.

"_There's no need," _The pilot responded mentally.

"Na-nani!" Tieria gasped as the Garazzo severely damaged the hands on the Seravee. Then a sharp pain similar to the one he had experienced earlier shot through his head, "A-aghh…"

"_Tieria-kun!" _Destiny cried as she fired the Seravee's leg cannons damaging the Garazzo.

"_So there are two of you in that machine…"_

"Bring-san," Destiny said. Tieria had passed full control to her for the time being. She brought out one of the beam sabers and successfully cut the Garazzo in two however the pilot had managed to escape using an escape pod. /How dare you use such underhanded methods…/ She thought, "Tieria-kun," She called, "Are you alright?"

"_Yeah," _Tieria said, "_He tried to break into my mind."_

"How's your arm?" Destiny asked.

"_It's alright," _Tieria said as he resumed control of Seraphim's weapons. His arm was bothering him quite a bit but he needed to concentrate on the battle, _"For now concentrate on protecting the Ptolemaios."_

"Ryoukai!" Destiny called.

* * *

The battle was proving to be a tough one. The enemy was attacking in waves and with the Seravee's hands damaged to the extent they were, Tieria and Destiny were unable to utilize Seravee's main weapon.

"_What are they trying to do?" _Destiny asked as she fired the leg cannons taking out another enemy.

"They're trying to overwhelm us," Tieria said gasping for breath a bit. Being unconscious for nearly two weeks was really taking its toll on him, "They want to eliminate us right here and now."

"_We should separate then," _Destiny said.

"With Seravee's main weapon down, it would be too much of a risk," Tieria said.

"_What about Trans-Am?" _Destiny said.

"Absolutely not," Tieria stated flatly, "There are too many enemies to safely use Trans-Am."

"_Then what…Tieria-kun move!" _She cried as she noticed the high velocity heat source approaching their position.

Tieria did what he was told to do then watched in horror as a rather large particle beam hit the Ptolemaios, "That beam…" He gasped, "Another new model?"

"_It's another Innovator type," _Destiny growled, _"It's Revive…we were attacked by him once before while you were unconscious."_

"_Tieria, Lyle," _Sumeragi called, _"I need the two of you to cover Crossroad-kun and the 0-Raiser."_

"Saji's piloting the 0-Raiser?" Tieria asked.

"_We don't have much of a choice right now," _Sumeragi said, _"Hangar three was struck by that particle beam and Ian was injured. The only other person who could head out is Marie and I already promised Allelujah that I would keep her from fighting. If Crossroad-kun can't get the 0-Raiser to Setsuna…they'll defeat us."_

"I understand," Tieria said, "Destiny, cover the 0-Raiser!"

"_Ryoukai!"_

Destiny bit her lip a bit, /What's going to happen when Setsuna-san activates Trans-Am?/ She thought, /Tieria-kun didn't react well the last time that happened…I'm worried/

* * *

Tieria followed the 0-Raiser to where Setsuna was pursuing a small squadron consisting of an Ahead, a few GN-XIIIs and the Ahead Smultron. He watched as the Double-0 was able to dock with the 0-Raiser.

"Destiny we should head back to the Ptolemaios," He called, "Setsuna can take it from here."

"_Okay," _Destiny called, _"Tieria-kun, could I take control of the Navigation?"_

"Why?" Tieria asked.

"_The last time the Double-0 Raiser's Trans-Am was activated, you didn't react well," _Destiny said, _"I don't want to risk being stuck in one place because you lost consciousness. I'm not that that's going to happen but you never know."_

"Alright," Tieria said as he passed the Gundam's controls to the girl. He watched as Setsuna caught the Ahead off guard and destroyed it. Then a few moments later the Double-0 Raiser started to glow red as Trans-Am was activated and a massive amount of GN-Particles encompassed the six mobile suits in the area. A sharp pain shot through his head and his vision went black.

* * *

Tieria opened his eyes but he found that he wasn't in a place he recognized. In fact he wasn't sure if he was anywhere at all. It was almost as if someone had inverted the colors of deep space where everything was white instead of black, the stars were black and the nebulas had a pastel hue to them. At first he thought that he was unconscious but this was different, he could still sense everything that was going on around him. He could hear Saji and Louise screaming at each other trying to figure out why the other one was in an enemy mobile suit. He could still feel the pain in his right arm and he could sense Destiny's distress as she frantically called his name.

/Where am I?/ he thought.

"_This is a place created by GN-Particles," _The voice of a young boy answered back.

Tieria gasped as he found himself standing beside a young boy about half his height. The child had an uncanny resemblance to himself. The boy had unnatural garnet eyes, wore oval shaped wire-rimmed glasses, and had pin straight shoulder length, vivid purple hair. "Who are you?" He asked.

"You should know me Tieria Erde," The boy responded, "I'm you."

* * *

So…my good friend cliffy made an appearance here…oh boy. Just who is the boy and how is he Tieria? Could the child Tieria encountered hold the secret of his past? Will the book Destiny found hold some answers? Ian wasn't able to help much, he cleared up one thing but for Tieria it isn't enough. Just some things for us to ponder while I write the next chapter…until next time! Ja ne!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	19. More Answers Lead to More Questions

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back! I figured that since I left such an awful cliffhanger I would update quickly. College started back up so my updates might be a bit spaced out so just wait patiently.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (With Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle (though she seems to have gone missing but she'll make a comeback…eventually…) are mine.

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter Nineteen: More Answers Lead to Even More Questions

Tieria looked at the boy in shock, "Wha…what do you mean?" He gasped.

"I am you," The boy said, "I am Tieria Erde."

"B-Bakana…!" Tieria exclaimed. There was no way the child was him. He hadn't been born by normal methods. He was an Innovator he had been born exactly the way he was now. He had not had a childhood so there was no way the child standing before him was him.

"Is it really that hard for you to comprehend?" The boy asked, "You seem to understand that, despite being half your height, I look almost exactly like you, and yet you still question me?" The boy's eyes turned yellow as if he was linking with Veda, "And while your mind tells you that there's no way we're the same person, your heart says we might be."

"This can't be real!" Tieria yelled, "This has to be a trap!"

"It's not a trap," The boy said, "Ribbons Alamark cannot reach you here. I am the only person who can reach you in this world. I know everything about you, naturally."

"What do you know?" Tieria asked meekly.

"Everything," The boy said simply, "I know when and where you were born. Your real name and age. Why you have those scars on your chest and abdomen. Your relationship with Regene Regetta and Destiny Wish. When they changed you. Why you can't remember your past. I will answer one question and one question only. Chose wisely."

"Why…" Tieria gasped. There was so much he wanted to ask the child but he was only allowed one question, "Why can't I remember my past?"

"Your memories were erased," The boy said, "Those memories you lost are still with you. Even after extensive brainwashing you still posses those memories. Ribbons Alamark may view himself as a god, but he doesn't have the ability to completely erase a person's past, especially if that person was able to link directly to Veda in the third year of their life. There's a way for you to unlock those memories, you just need to figure it out."

"What do you mean?" Tieria asked.

"I can't answer that," the boy said, "I've already answered your one question. Right now you have a battle you're supposed to be fighting in. I'll return you to the real world now. Your companion is rather worried about you."

Tieria was about to ask yet another question when everything faded from view.

_"You're not what you think you are...Tieria Erde."_

* * *

"_Tieria-kun! Tieria-kun! Come on respond! Tieria-kun!"_

Tieria slowly opened his eyes and found that he was still in the Seraphim's cockpit. He was confused. Not even thirty seconds ago he was floating in the middle of what seemed to be deep space and yet now he was back in his Gundam. /Was that just a dream?/ He thought, /Was I really just unconscious?/

"_Tieria-kun!"_ Destiny cried through the private line that just connected the Seravee and Seraphim.

"Destiny…" He muttered tiredly. He wasn't exactly tired he was more or less extremely disoriented.

"_Tieria-kun," _Destiny cried, "_Are you alright? What happened to you back there?"_

"I don't know," Tieria said, "We'll talk about it later." He passed full control to Destiny, "Could you take over…I'm dizzy…" He wasn't really dizzy he just had too much on his mind to concentrate on fighting.

"_Sure," _Destiny said, _"Take it easy."_

Tieria sighed and shut his eyes. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. His mind was in a fog and he wasn't sure if it was the GN-Particles or from the unconsciousness-like phenomenon he had just experienced. /What the hell was that…/ he thought, /My memories were erased…I was brainwashed…just what did that child mean…?/

/_Are you alright Tieria?/ _Neil's voice resonated in his head, _/You seem upset…what's wrong?/_

/You wouldn't understand/ Tieria thought back, /And I just want to be left alone for now…just let me get my thoughts straight/

_/Alright/_ Neil said, _/But you know Des is gonna hound you about this all later right? She's very worried about you/_

/I know/ Tieria snapped back, /Just leave me alone. I need to think/

_/Alright, alright/ _Neil said, _/Don't bite my head off/_

Tieria sighed and shut his eyes again. The confusion he was feeling was giving him a massive headache. He knew that he was technically in the middle of a battle but he was confident in Destiny's abilities as a pilot to let her take over completely. He disabled the communications line that ran between their cockpits as well as the main communications line and attempted to sleep off the almost migraine he had.

* * *

Destiny was worried about Tieria. She had overheard the little "conversation" between Tieria and Neil. /Something happened to him when Setsuna-san activated Trans-Am/ she thought, /I don't think he fell unconscious…I could feel his emotions again. Something I wouldn't have been able to do if he had been unconscious…I'm sure he'll tell when he's ready to tell me/

_/He was transported to a world that was created by GN-Particles/ _Regene's voice resonated in her mind, _/He's still a little confused. Everything that happened to him there doesn't make sense to him and you know how he gets/_

/Regene!/ Destiny exclaimed, /How can you contact me? I was cut off/

_/Setsuna F. Seiei's new little ability is rather useful isn't it?/ _Regene said, _/It messes with Ribbons' quantum brainwaves and allows me to communicate with anyone with quantum brainwaves, not just Tieria/_ Regene sighed _/I wanted to talk with Tieria but since Neil Dylandi contacted him in this manner he's repelling any mental links that might be established. Despite being the same type I can't get through to him. Hilling discovered that the head injury that Tieria sustained four years ago didn't hinder Tieria's quantum brainwaves as much as Ribbons thought it had. Hilling was able to contact Tieria through quantum brainwaves about twenty-fours after he was shot. She was the one who managed to pull him from the coma the blood-loss put him in/_

/Tieria-kun didn't tell me that/ Destiny said, /He never said anything like that to me/

_/One last thing before the Trans-Am Raiser lets up, the connection that Tieria and I share is different than the connection that the other pairs share. And you're not connected to Miracle…you're connected to Tieria and I/_

/What!/ Destiny gasped. But before Regene could respond the Double-0 Raiser's Trans-Am ended and their connection was broken to avoid being detected by Ribbons.

"_All Gundams," _Sumeragi called, _"The enemy is retreating but remain on stand-by for now." _

"Ryoukai," Destiny said as she returned to the guarding the Ptolemaios. She wanted to check up on Tieria but she didn't want to oppress him. She had been told that that could end badly.

"_This is Arios," _Allelujah called, _"Everyone has been safely transported away from the combat airspace…Mileina, your mother is alright."_

/So Linda-san's alright/ Destiny thought as she smiled a bit, /That's good. I just hope that Ian-san is alright/

"_All Gundams are to return to the Ptolemy and prepare for the assault on the Satellite weapon!" _Sumeragi said, _"All crew members are to help with the repairs of the Gundams and the Ptolemaios!"_

"Ryoukai!" Destiny responded. /I guess I'll be taking over for Tieria-kun today…but then again he's not feeling well/ she though.

_

* * *

Tieria found himself in yet another unfamiliar place. Only this time, he could hardly make anything out. Everything was blurry and fuzzy almost as if he wasn't wearing his glasses or helmet. He went to sit up but found that his body was strangely heavy and for some reason he felt extremely weak and tired. /What is this?/ he thought as he found himself unable to sit up._

"_How's he doing Ren?" An unfamiliar male voice asked in a language that Tieria could vaguely comprehend._

_A woman sighed, "Still the same," She said in the same language, "His fever has finally started to come down but he's so weak he can hardly move. I wish there was something I could do to ease his pain Sam, but until he gets over this illness there's nothing I can do."_

"_Just by being here for little T-chan you're helping him," The man said, "He hasn't cried at all since you came in here."_

_The woman sighed, "I wish the doctors could figure out what's wrong with him," She said, "Even Alamark's people were baffled by his condition. They see this terribly sick little boy then after running countless tests, they find nothing."_

"_He does have a heart condition," The man said, "That could factor into his poor health."_

"_I doubt it," The woman said, "The doctors said that other children with the same condition __improved dramatically after the surgery. T-chan's health didn't improve after the surgery, it only worsened." She paused, "I'm really starting to worry Sam, what if…this is it…? What if…"_

"_Don't say it Ren," The man said, "Little T-chan's held on for this long. He's not going to _die,_" The man said. Tieria couldn't understand the last word the man said. He had definitely switched to a different language, "He's proven all of his doctors wrong several times over. Little T-chan is going to grow up strong, I know he will. I bet you any money he's going to be an ace pilot some day."_

"_What are you two talking about?" A vaguely familiar girl's voice came._

"_We were just discussing Little T-chan's future," the man said, "Your mother seems to think that he's going to remain sickly for the rest of his life. I think that he'll grow stronger in time and he'll be one of the best pilots this world has ever seen. What do you think Ri-kun?"_

"_I think he'll get better in time," the girl said, "I mean when he's not sick, he's a pretty energetic kid. I'm sure if he was allowed to run around, we wouldn't be able to keep up with him."_

"_See Ren?" The man said, "Even Ri-kun agrees with me." Tieria felt a larger hand grab his own. Why did his hand seem so small? Either the man talking had abnormally large hands or Tieria himself had shrunk. Neither reason made any sense to him at all but then again nothing seemed to be making sense to him lately. He couldn't understand anything that was going on. These people seemed to be talking about him but he had no idea who they were, "You'll grow up big and strong just like your brother and sister, won't you Tieria Benjamin."_

* * *

Once again Tieria found himself in Seraphim's cockpit when he opened his eyes.

"Oi Tieria," Neil called, "You awake in there?"

"Neil…" He muttered groggily.

"Hey there sleepy head," Neil greeted with a smile, "I can't believe you fell asleep during a battle. You're lucky nothing happened."

"Sorry," Tieria mumbled as he removed his helmet and replaced his glasses, "The GN-Particles gave me a migraine."

"There's no reason to apologize," Neil said, "If you weren't feeling well, then you weren't feeling well."

"Are you feeling better?" Destiny asked.

"Not really," Tieria said as he slowly stood up and left his cockpit. The headache was gone but he was disoriented and almost lightheaded, "Something happened to me in the middle of battle…when Setsuna activated Trans-Am. I don't understand what happened at all…it just doesn't make any sense to me."

"Regene-kun mentioned something about that," Destiny said, "He said that you had been transported to a world that was created by GN-Particles."

"So that's what that place was," Tieria said as he allowed Neil to steady him, "How were you able to contact Regene?"

"He contacted me," Destiny said, "Through quantum brainwaves."

"But I thought you were cut off," Tieria said.

"That's what I thought," Destiny said, "But Regene told me that instead of being connected to Miracle, I'm connected to you and Regene-kun."

"But we're not the same type," Tieria said, "How is that possible?"

"I don't know," Destiny said, "Perhaps that little book will have some answers."

Tieria sighed, "When Setsuna activated Trans-Am I was transported to this really strange place," He said, "And I met a boy there who said he was me. He said that…my memories had been erased through extensive brainwashing. I don't understand it at all…"

"Your memories were erased?" Neil asked, "Maybe that's the reason you don't remember anything before coming to work for Celestial Being."

"Who knows," Tieria muttered, "I'm not feeling very well right now. I just want to go to my room and lie down for a while." He wasn't lying. He was feeling rather off and almost sick. His head was pounding again, he was lightheaded and he was feeling slightly warm.

"Okay," Destiny said, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Tieria muttered, "I just don't feel well."

Destiny put her hand on Tieria's forehead, "You feel warm," She said as she put her lips to Tieria's forehead just to be sure, "Have you been feeling ill all day?"

"Not really," Tieria said as the pain in his arm began flaring up again, "I just don't feel well all of a sudden." He clutched his arm and Neil took notice.

"What's wrong?" Neil asked.

"I hit my arm on something before the battle. It's starting to hurt again." Tieria said as he noticed something damp on his left hand. He looked down on his hand and he saw that the wound had bled through his flight suit.

"Tieria," Neil said as he too noticed the dark stain on Tieria's sleeve, "Take the top of your flight suit off." Tieria sat down against the wall and removed his flight suit. Neil was shocked at what he saw, quite a bit of the healing wound had reopened and was bleeding rather heavily, "Tieria…how long has your arm been bleeding?" he asked. He could see that Tieria had attempted to bandage the wound but it hadn't been enough, "Did you sortie with your arm like that?"

"It wasn't this bad when I went to sortie," Tieria said, "It had started to bleed a little bit before I left."

"We should get you to the medical room then," Neil said as he helped Tieria stand, "If your arm has been bleeding like that for the last hour or so then you need medical attention. You're probably suffering from mild blood-loss."

"That would explain the fever," Destiny said, "And the dizziness. You shouldn't have ignored this Tieria-kun."

"We can talk about this later," Neil said, "He's really looking pale, we should hurry."

* * *

Sumeragi was in the Medical room checking up on Ian's condition when Neil and Destiny led an extremely pale Tieria into the room.

"What's wrong?" Sumeragi asked. Tieria looked like he was about ready to collapse.

"The gash running up his arm reopened," Neil said, "It's been bleeding for the past hour as well. It explains why he passed full control to Destiny."

"Alright," Anew said, "Just lie down on the other bed. I'll check it out as soon as I'm done with Vashti-san."

"How's Ian doing?" Tieria asked. He was quite happy to lie down, the dizziness had intensified quite a bit

"He'll be fine," Anew said, "His injuries aren't life threatening at all."

"That's good," Destiny said, "Mileina-chan must be relieved."

"Alright Tieria-san," Anew said as she finished setting the capsule that Ian was resting in, "Let's see what's wrong." She closed the capsule and brought up Tieria's stats, "It's not as bad as it looks." She said, "The wound has reopened but it's not deep. It should only take a few hours to reseal it."

"How long would it take to heal without the capsule?" Sumeragi said.

"It would take a few days," Anew said, "But his arm would need to be immobilized during that time."

"We have the time to let it heal naturally," Sumeragi said, "If that's alright with you Tieria."

"It's fine," Tieria said.

"Alright," Anew said as she opened the capsule, "Are you in pain Tieria-san?"

"Yeah," Tieria said. There was no point in hiding the fact that he was in pain, not with Neil, Destiny and Sumeragi there. They would probably beat it out of him.

"Okay," Anew said as she took a syringe, "I going to give you something for the pain then."

"Hold on Anew-san," Sumeragi said just before Anew injected the medication into Tieria's arm, "Tieria can't have anesthesia. His body can't tolerate it and it makes him violently ill."

"Oh," Anew said as she put the syringe down on the table, "I'm sorry, I almost made a terrible mistake."

"It's alright," Tieria said, "You didn't know."

"Are you sure? I should have checked your medical records first," Anew asked, "I almost made you sick." Tieria nodded, "Alright, I'll get you cleaned up then send you back to your room to rest for the remainder of the day."

"Are you going to be alright, Tieria?" Sumeragi said as Tieria grimaced.

"Yeah…" He gasped as Anew finished cleaning the blood off his arm. She then applied the same medication that Linda had used on the wound on his stomach. He clenched his teeth and shut his eyes to keep himself from crying out as his entire arm burned.

"I'm sorry," Anew said, "I know it hurts but I'm almost done." She began dressing the wound, "What happened to you?" She asked, "Did this happen during the battle?"

"No," Tieria said, "When we were first attacked I lost my balance and slammed into a wall."

"The battle must have it worse," Anew said as she secured a bandage, "I'll be right back." She walked into the small storage room then emerged a few minutes later holding a sling, "I want you to wear this until your arm feels better."

"What about the fever he has?" Destiny asked.

"It's nothing bad," Anew said as she helped Tieria with the sling. It was designed to keep the arm completely immobilized and strapped to the chest as well as the upper arm. "It was caused by the blood-loss. As long as he rests today, his fever should be down by tomorrow."

"Take it easy today Tieria," Sumeragi said, "We're going to need you in the battle against the satellite weapon. If you can't sortie in that operation it will put us in a tough spot."

"I understand," Tieria said.

"Well Tieria-san, you're all set," Anew said, "Please try to rest today you do have a slight fever. Neil-san, Destiny-san, will you help him to his room? He's still going to be dizzy."

Tieria shut his eyes as Destiny and Neil helped him stand. The dizziness worsened and he swayed on his feet.

"Take it easy kid," Neil said as he steadied Tieria, "You're not well."

"I just…want to go to my room and sleep," Tieria muttered.

"That sounds good," Sumeragi said as she placed her hand on Tieria's forehead, "Make sure to eat something later on. I know how you get when you're feverish but you need to regain your strength."

"Are you ready?"

Tieria nodded and leaned against Neil. He was extremely dizzy and he wasn't sure how much longer he would remain conscious. Everything was starting to feel more and more distant and hazy as time passed.

"You know what Tieria," Neil said, "I think I'm going to carry you back to your room, just to be safe. I know from experience that you kinda like to pass out without giving us any sort of warning."

Tieria nodded and allowed Neil to pick him up, "Can I sleep?" He asked weakly. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he lost consciousness and he didn't want to worry Destiny if he fainted suddenly.

"Go ahead," Neil said, "Des and I'll make sure you get back to your room safe and sound."

Tieria nodded and shut his eyes, slipping into a deep and restful sleep

* * *

Poor Tieria…what he saw only confused him more. And he really shouldn't have gone out with his arm the way it was and it only got worse. So…what was that dream all about? Was it something from his past or what? Will Tieria find more answers in the little book Destiny found with his belongings? Until next time minna-san! Ja ne!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	20. More Problems Arise

Konnichiwa Minna-san! After a bit of a break and a new laptop (my old one couldn't be fixed!) I'm back! Can you believe this is chapter number twenty? I can't, and I wrote it! I don't have much to say about this chapter aside from it's a bit of a filler chapter, so you can get started right away!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading

* * *

Chapter Twenty: More Problems Arise

Tieria woke up in his room about two hours after Neil and Destiny brought him there. He felt a little better the dizziness had gone away and he wasn't feeling as feverish as he had felt earlier. He slowly sat up and found that someone had left him a light meal. He stood up and grabbed the tray then returned to his bed and started eating.

"_Tieria," _Sumeragi called through his communicator just as he finished eating, _"How are you feeling?"_

"I'm not feeling as bad as I felt earlier," Tieria said, "But I'm still feeling tired and weak."

"_I have a favor to ask you," _Sumeragi said, _"I know you're supposed to be resting but we need Seravee's Trans-Am and Destiny is busy with another task. Are you feeling well enough?"_

"Yeah," Tieria said, "I'll be down there in a bit."

"_Thank you Tieria," _Sumeragi said, _"When we're done you can go straight back to bed if you want."_

Tieria nodded and ended the call. He removed the sling from his arm and chest and he carefully changed into his flight suit. He put the sling back on then headed to the hangar.

When he got there Mileina and the karels were working to repair his Gundam.

"Erde-san," Mileina said, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright," He said, "I'm a little tired and weak."

"I hope you feel better soon," Mileina said, "Don't worry," She glanced up at the Seravee, "We'll have Seravee fixed in no time."

"Thank you," Tieria said as he floated up to the cockpit. He entered Seraphim's cockpit and activated his Gundam.

"_I need all Meisters to activate Trans-Am," _Sumeragi called, _"We will continue the repairs to the Gundams and Ptolemy while in acceleration. Once out of acceleration all crew members are to prepare for the assault on the satellite weapon."_

"Ryoukai," Tieria responded as he activated Trans-am.

Halfway through the Trans-am's limit a sharp pain shot through Tieria's head and he cried out in pain. It was a pain similar to the one he had experienced when he had faced off against Bring and it meant only one thing. There was an Innovator nearby.

"_Tieria, what's wrong?" _Sumeragi asked. She had purposely left the communications line with the Seravee open so she could monitor Tieria.

"I think…there's an…Innovator around here…" Tieria muttered as he held his now aching head, "My head…"

"_Dammit…" _Sumeragi muttered, _"We don't need this right now…Feldt hurry and give Setsuna orders to sortie. Tieria are you going to be alright?"_

"I think so," He responded softly.

"_I'm sorry," _Sumeragi said, _"I should have just let you rest. You're not feeling well as it is."_

"Don't worry about it…I'll be alright," Tieria muttered, "We needed to use Seravee's Trans-Am…"

"_Tieria…"_

"_Sumeragi the E-sensor has detected a single enemy mobile suit approaching at high speeds," _Feldt called.

"_Are Setsuna and Saji ready to sortie with the Double-0 Raiser?"_ Sumeragi asked.

"_I'm transferring the launch timing to them now," _Feldt said.

"_Alright good," _Sumeragi said, _"The others won't be able to help until their particles recharge and…Tieria won't be able to sortie at all."_

"I'm sorry," Tieria said.

"_It's not your fault," _Sumeragi said, _"You're not feeling well and Seravee is still undergoing repairs. Even if you weren't feeling sick you wouldn't have been able to sortie anyway. Don't worry about a thing now, just relax."_

Tieria nodded and shut his eyes in the hopes that the splitting headache would subside a bit.

* * *

Miracle smiled as she approached the Ptolemaios. /They're using up all their precious particles for the acceleration of their ship/ she thought, /So they won't be able to put up much of a fight. You foolish humans should have thought your plan out a little better/

She aimed the mega launcher at the Ptolemaios' engine and was about to fire when her mobile suit took a few hits.

"What?" She gasped as she dodged a series of particle beams, "They shouldn't be able to fight back unless…" She gasped as she saw the Double-0 Raiser approaching her position, "The double powered one! It didn't use trans-am?" She smirked, "Oh well, looks like I'll have to play with a human after all. You dare to challenge my lovely Gachette!" She then fired at the Double-0 Raiser and it dodged, "You're a melee type aren't you? How unlucky for you then! The Gachette is a heavily armed type! I have you beat in firepower!" She went back to aiming at the Ptolemaios.

"_I won't let you fire that!" _Setsuna called as he destroyed the mega launcher.

"It doesn't matter," Miracle said, "I have another one!" She took the spare Mega launcher that was mounted on the Gachette's back.

"_It has two…!" _She heard the pilot gasp.

/That's right/ Miracle thought, /The Gachette is so much better than the lowly Gadessa. Ribbons-sama got the idea for this after seeing that traitor, Tieria Erde's mobile suit/ She took aim at Setsuna, /Let's see how good the human's reflexes are…/ She waited until Setsuna was almost close enough to destroy the weapon and she pulled the trigger. When the beam finished fired she laughed, "Looks like the human wasn't fast enough to dodge, how sad. Now to claim my prize…Sayonara Celestial Being."

She was about to pull the trigger on the Ptolemaios when the mega launcher was shot from the Gachette's hands, "What!" She gasped as she saw the Double-0 Raiser had turned red, "That good-for-nothing Revive warned me about this…I won't fall for the same things the others fell for!" She fired at the Double-0 but none of her shots hit, "Don't get cocky human!" Miracle growled as she struggled to keep up with the Double-0.

"_Unh…My…my head…uaah…!"_

"_Tieria-kun, what's wrong?"_

"So, Tieria Erde and Destiny Wish are still alive huh?" Miracle asked, "That makes me angry!" She went to fire at the Ptolemaios with one of her mounted cannons when Setsuna appeared in front of her, "Don't get in my way! I need to punish two traitors!"

"_I won't let you!" _Setsuna yelled in her mind.

She screamed as the Double-0 Raiser sliced the head and upper torso of the Gachette.

"_Aah!" _She screamed as she ejected from her heavily damaged mobile suit just before it exploded _"Look what you did to my lovely Gachette!"_

Setsuna sighed as the escape pod flew away from the airspace. During the trans-am he could hear Tieria screaming in pain and he was worried about his comrade.

"_Thank you Setsuna," _Sumeragi called over the communicator, _"Return to the Ptolemy for now."_

"Ryoukai," Setsuna said, "How's Tieria?"

Sumeragi sighed, _"He's alright," _She said, _"Apparently he's suffering from a bad headache right now…I should have just let him rest."_

* * *

When Setsuna returned to the Ptolemaios Allelujah and Lyle were helping Tieria out of his Gundam.

"Are you alright?" Setsuna asked as he floated up to Tieria. He then noticed the sling that the taller Meister's arm was in, "What happened to your arm?"

"The gunshot wound reopened," Allelujah said, "He'll have to wear that for a few days."

Setsuna looked at Tieria and sighed. Tieria's garnet eyes were tightly closed and even with the tinted visor he could tell that Tieria was very pale, "We should get him back to his room so he can rest," he said.

"That sounds like a good idea," Allelujah said, "I heard from Neil that Tieria was running a fever earlier. Are you still feeling sick Tieria?"

Tieria nodded, "My head…really hurts…" He almost whimpered. The pain in his head was almost blinding.

Allelujah nodded as he and Setsuna led Tieria back to his room.

* * *

"Do you want us to help you change out of that?" Allelujah asked once they had allowed the exhausted Meister to sit on his bed, "Your flight suit might not be the most comfortable thing for you to sleep in. What were you wearing earlier?"

"I was wearing my normal uniform," Tieria muttered, "Just without the jacket."

"Do you have anything besides that?" Allelujah asked, "You should wear something more comfortable. You are on orders to rest today."

"I should have a pair of lounge pants and a tee-shirt where I keep my clothes," Tieria muttered. He just wanted to sleep off the terrible headache he had. At the point he was at, he didn't care if he slept in his flight suit.

"Okay," Allelujah said, "Setsuna would you see if you can find it?"

"Here they are," Setsuna said as he walked up to the bed, "Do you need help with this?"

Tieria nodded and started to remove the sling from his arm. Once it was off Allelujah helped him with the top of his flight suit, "What about the undershirt?" Allelujah asked, "Do you want us to help you with that too?"

"The undershirt can stay on," Tieria said.

"But Tieria…"

"I said the undershirt can stay on!" Tieria snapped. He was tired, he wasn't feeling well and he just wanted to sleep for a while.

"Okay, okay," Allelujah said as he dismissed the issue about the undershirt. He knew that Tieria wasn't feeling well and therefore he wasn't going to be in a good mood. And Allelujah didn't quite feel like aggravating the smaller Meister more because it probably wouldn't end well.

"I can handle the rest," Tieria said.

"Are y-…Okay," Allelujah said. He almost asked another question that would have only aggravated Tieria further. "Let us know if you need anything else."

"I will," Tieria said, "Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome," Allelujah said, "I hope you feel better."

Tieria gave a weak smile, "Thanks," he said as Allelujah and Setsuna left the room. He finished changing out of his flight suit, replaced the sling then he lay down on his bed. He shut his eyes and within minutes slipped into a deep sleep.

* * *

Destiny sighed as she walked through the halls of the Ptolemaios looking for Marie. There was no doubt in her mind that the Innovator that had attacked them was Miracle. Out of all the Innovators, Miracle had the greatest effect on Tieria. When they were still with Ribbons, Tieria couldn't be in the same room as Miracle without suffering from an almost debilitating headache. She knew that Ribbons had created Miracle to keep Tieria under his control. Miracle's quantum brainwaves interfered with Tieria's quantum brainwaves and she knew that Ribbons was going to use this to his advantage.

She found Marie in the kitchen preparing for supper. "Parfacy-san," she greeted.

"Ah Wish-san," Marie greeted, "What can I do for you?"

"I need your help with something," Destiny said, "How do you go about blocking quantum brainwaves?"

"Blocking quantum brainwaves…?" Marie asked.

"That new model that attacked us was piloted by an Innovator," Destiny said, "That particular Innovator was created to interfere with Tieria-kun's quantum brainwaves. I already know that Ribbons Alamark is going to use that to his advantage to make Tieria-kun unable to fight. I just wanted to know if you knew of any ways to block them out."

Marie nodded. She had been in the bridge when the Innovator unit had attacked therefore she had heard Tieria screaming in pain. "They put a special device in the helmet of my flight suit," She said, "When I'm finished making supper I can show you the device if you want."

"That would be great," Destiny said, "I'm sure Mileina-chan would be more than happy to create a similar device for Tieria-kun."

Marie smiled lightly, "You care for Tieria-san very much, don't you?" She asked.

"I view Tieria-kun as my brother," Destiny said, "Although sometimes I can't figure out whether he would be older or younger than me. I know we have some sort of special connection. I just haven't figured out what that connection is yet."

"You'll figure it out," Marie said, "Tieria-san is very lucky to have someone looking out for him all the time."

"He needs that more than anything," Destiny said, "The ordeal he went through with Ribbons scarred him pretty badly and he's still terrified that he'll be taken away again. I'm not sure what he was like before I met him for the first time four years ago but I don't think he'll ever go back to being that person."

"Things will get better," Marie said, "I'm sure of it."

"Thank you Parfacy-san," Destiny said.

"It wasn't a problem," Marie said, "I'm glad I could help."

* * *

"Ribbons!" Miracle cried as she threw herself at the green haired man, "The boy in the double powered Gundam destroyed my lovely Gachette!"

"It's alright," Ribbons said, "It can be rebuilt. What I want to know is how did Tieria Erde respond to your presence?"

Miracle smiled maliciously, "Exactly the way you said he would," she said, "His pained screams were like music to my ears. Tieria Erde has such a wonderful scream…"

"Did he sortie?" Ribbons asked.

"No," Miracle pouted, "He was docked in their ship. Based on how weak his quantum brainwaves were my guess is that he's not well right now. And that traitor Destiny kept trying to comfort him."

"Were they in the same Gundam?" Ribbons asked.

"I don't think so," Miracle said, "Their signatures weren't transmitting from the same area of the ship."

"I see," Ribbons said, "It doesn't matter anyway. If they are piloting the same mobile suit it'll be easier to take both of them out at once."

"Will I be able to help?" Miracle asked, "I wanna get Tieria Erde and Destiny Wish back for surviving."

"Of course you'll be able to help," Ribbons said, "I'll need your little ability to take down Tieria Erde. Don't worry, I'll rebuild your mobile suit."

"Thank you so much Ribbons!" Miracle cried as she embraced Ribbons.

* * *

No one was surprised when Tieria failed to report to supper but then again, no one was expecting him to.

"Hey," Lyle said, "That kid, Tieria, is he okay? I know he wasn't feeling well after the battle. Is he feeling any better?"

"I haven't checked on him since," Destiny said, "I've been helping with the repairs to the Gundams."

"I see…" Lyle said.

"The kid's still sleeping," Neil said, "I checked on him a little while ago. His fever hasn't really come down much either and I'm a little worried about that."

"I was planning on checking up on him after supper," Anew said, "I also wanted to bring him a light meal as well."

"Good," Sumeragi said, "That boy needs to eat."

"He ate the meal you left him earlier," Neil said, "The tray was empty."

"That's good," Sumeragi said, "But I'm worried about him…" She said softly, "I've never heard Tieria scream like that…it was painful to listen to."

"It was caused by quantum brainwave interference," Destiny said, "I'll bet anything that the pilot of that mobile suit was the Innovator that was created to keep Tieria under Ribbons' control."

"What do you mean?" Sumeragi asked.

"The pilot that was sent here today has quantum brainwaves that interfere with Tieria's," Destiny explained, "Back when we were with Ribbons, Tieria-kun couldn't stay in the same room as her without suffering from a severe headache…And worse still the Innovators can mentally attack Tieria-kun…"

"Do you really think they would do something like that?" Allelujah asked.

"They already have," Destiny said, "Twice."

"What are we going to do?" Sumeragi asked, "We can't keep Tieria from fighting, we just can't. And he wouldn't agree to it anyway."

"It is possible to build a device that would block out the quantum brainwaves," Marie said, "That's what they did with Soma."

"I could help!" Mileina piped in, "I would be more than happy to do something like that for Erde-san!"

"Thank you Mileina," Sumeragi said, "But what's the status on the Gundams? That comes first and foremost."

"We're just about done with the repairs to the Seravee," Mileina said, "I've been getting a lot of help from Crossroad-san and Wish-san. All of the Gundams will be in full working order when we get to the satellite weapon."

"I just hope Tieria's feeling better by then," Sumeragi muttered.

* * *

After supper Marie and Mileina went off to try and see if they if they could build a device that would help Tieria deal with the quantum brainwave interference that he might be subjected to while Sumeragi, Neil, Anew, and Destiny went to check on Tieria.

Tieria was still asleep when they got there.

"Should we try and wake him?" Anew said, "Or should we just let him sleep?"

"We should try to wake him," Sumeragi said, "He needs to eat a little something."

Anew nodded and placed her hand on Tieria's forehead, "He's still running a slight fever," She said, "Tieria-san," She called as he stirred, "Are you awake?"

After a few minutes Tieria opened his eyes, "What is it?" He asked groggily. He still had a headache however it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been earlier.

"We wanted to see how you were feeling," Sumeragi said, "We're worried about you."

"Oh," Tieria said as he sat up, "I thought something was wrong."

"No," Sumeragi said, "Nothing's wrong. We just wanted to check up on you. How are you feeling?"

"I've felt better," Tieria said, "I still have a headache but it's not as bad as it was earlier. I should be fine by tomorrow."

"That's good," Sumeragi said, "Are you hungry at all?"

"Not really," Tieria said, "I'll eat if you want me to but I'm not very hungry."

"Okay," Sumeragi said as she placed her hand on Tieria's shoulder, "We brought you a little something to eat."

"But first I want to check your arm," Anew said.

Tieria nodded and grabbed his glasses, "My arm hasn't been painful but it's really stiff," He said as Anew helped him remove the sling.

Anew nodded as she started to unroll the bandages, "It's scabbed over nicely," Anew said, "In a few more days it should be completely healed. Has the wound on your stomach been bothering you at all?"

"No," Tieria said.

"Okay," Anew said as she started to re-bandage Tieria's arm, "I'm all set. Take it easy for the rest of the night and I think you'll be fine tomorrow."

Tieria nodded and Sumeragi handed him a small tray, "Eat what you can," Sumeragi said, "I know you're not feeling well but you need to eat."

"Destiny," Tieria said, "It was Miracle who attacked us today."

"I know," Destiny said, "None of the others would have made you scream like that."

"What are we going to do?" Tieria asked softly as he picked at the food that was given to him, "Knowing Ribbons, she'll be back…"

"We're having Mileina work on a device that will help block out the quantum brainwaves for you," Sumeragi said.

"Will it work?" Tieria asked.

"We're having Marie help her," Sumeragi said, "She has a similar device built into her helmet. Don't worry, everything will work out."

"I hope you're right…" Tieria said softly, "I'm done with this." He handed the tray back to Sumeragi then rested against his bed again.

"You should try to eat a bit more Tieria," Sumeragi said as she took the tray, "You're going to be weak tomorrow."

"The headache made me extremely nauseous earlier and some of the nausea hasn't gone away yet," Tieria said, "I'm not feeling well as it is and I don't want to take any chances."

Sumeragi nodded, "I'm sorry," she said, "I know how you get. Well, I have a few things I need to do to prepare for tomorrow. Let me know if you need anything at all Tieria."

Tieria nodded and shut his eyes, "You two don't have to stay," Tieria said, "I'm probably just going to sleep for the rest of the night."

"Okay," Destiny said, "If you need anything just call us, okay?"

Tieria nodded and when he was certain that Destiny and Neil had left the room he sat up. He was tired but he had no intentions of getting some rest anytime soon. There was something he wanted to do first. He slowly stood up, ignoring the lightheadedness and walked over to his desk where he picked up the small tattered notebook that Destiny had found.

He returned to his bed and opened the small book. Half of the entries were in French and the other half were in German. He sighed as he realized that all the entries that mention Jori or his name were in German. And while he did have access to software that could translate the German into a language that he could understand. He wasn't feeling up to the painstakingly long process of trying to get the small book translated. So he settled on reading the entries he could understand.

"_Today was my first day working at Krung Thep." _He read, _"I have to say it's a bit intimidating to be working with some of the best scientists, mobile suit mechanics, pilots and strategists in the world…I mean I'm only sixteen. However despite my age, no one seems to care that I'm basically still just a kid. There are others who are around my age as well. I have big hopes for this new job! Ren Claire."_

/This person worked for Celestial Being?/ Tieria thought, /But what is her connection to me?/

"_Today a new boy started here. His name is Ribbons Alamark and he's some sort of super human referred to as an Innovator. But there's something about him that I don't like. He seems to look down on everyone as if he's better than everyone else. My best friend says that I'm just over reacting and that Ribbons is completely harmless but…I can't shake that feeling of unease that I feel around him. He said that there's another like him starting here next week, I hope he's a little nicer. Ren Claire."_

/She knew Ribbons as well…/ Tieria thought as he flipped through the book for another entry.

"_The new Innovade started a few days ago." _Tieria read, _"His name is Naissance Rivière. He's so much nicer than Ribbons is, and I find myself rather attracted to him. I want to ask him "out" but every time I try I get interrupted by Ribbons. Ribbons sees me a nothing more than an annoying child and I hope that M. Rivière doesn't feel the same way. Although it does seem as though he goes out of his way to help me sometimes, so I don't think he feels that way. I really hope that I can get to know him a little better. Ren Claire."_

/What is an Innovade?/ Tieria thought as he looked through the book a bit more.

"_Today the unbelievable happened! Ribbons was away for some reason and Naissance asked me out! I don't know how Ribbons will react to that, he doesn't seem to like humans much at all. But it doesn't matter, nothing will ruin my good mood right now! I'm so happy I could scream! He asked me where I was from and he said that he would take me there on a date! So next week we're going to take a little trip back to Quebec for a few days! I can't wait! Ren Claire."_

Tieria sighed as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He wanted to read more but he just couldn't keep his eyes open. He replaced his glasses and looked at his watch and found that it was nearly midnight. He put the book down near his bed and removed his glasses. He could read more of the book when he woke up. He shut the lights off in his room and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

So Miracle made a comeback…and she has her own mobile suit, the Gachette. I got the name when I was reading through a French dictionary (French is my second language) one day and I came across the word. Gachette is the French word for trigger (the "ch" in Gachette is pronounced like an "sh") And it seems as though Miracle has quite an effect on poor Tieria…will Mileina and Marie be able to create a device that will help him? Ren Claire and Naissance Rivière (Birth River in French…Innovades have odd names) are also OCs. So until next time! Ja ne Minna-san! (There might be a ton of grammatical errors in this but it's two thirty in the morning and I don't feel like giving it a full edit right now...)

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	21. Plans Surface

Konnichiwa Minna-san! After a bit of a break and a new laptop (my old one couldn't be fixed!) I'm back! Can you believe this is chapter number twenty? I can't, and I wrote it! I don't have much to say about this chapter aside from it's a bit of a filler chapter, so you can get started right away!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One: Plans

The next morning Destiny walked into the small office that was attached to the hangar. She wanted to see the progress that Mileina had made on the device. She found Mileina asleep at the desk with several tools and Tieria's helmet near her head.

"Mileina-chan," Destiny called as she nudged the girl's shoulders.

"Ah…Wish-san," Mileina muttered groggily, "Good morning."

"Good morning Mileina-chan," Destiny greeted as she looked at the helmet which had several wires coming from it, "How is it coming along?"

"It's done," Mileina said as she picked up the purple helmet.

"Did you stay up all night to finish this?" Destiny asked.

"Yeah," Mileina said, "I wanted to get it done as soon as possible. I still need to test it out just so I know it works. Is Erde-san awake yet?"

"No, he's not awake yet," Destiny said.

"Really?" Mileina said, "That's odd. But when he does wake up can both of you come here? I still need to fine tune it."

"Okay," Destiny said, "I'll let him know."

"Have you checked on Erde-san yet?" Mileina said, "I know he wasn't feeling well yesterday. I heard from Dylandi-san that Erde-san was running a fever. I wanted to know if he's feeling better today."

"I haven't checked up on him today," Destiny said, "He doesn't like it when I worry about him."

"I really hope that Erde-san is feeling better today," Mileina said, "Everyone is really worried about him."

Destiny smiled a bit, "You should call him Tieria." She said.

"I can't do that!" Mileina exclaimed while turning bright red.

"You like him don't you?" Destiny said, "You should try calling him by his first name. Tieria-kun won't figure out that you like him on his own."

"Do you really think he won't mind?" Mileina asked sheepishly.

"He calls you Mileina doesn't he?" Destiny asked, "He won't mind at all."

"Okay," Mileina said, "I'll try."

* * *

Sumeragi was a little irritated when Tieria did not show up for breakfast.

"Alright Tieria," She said, "I know you sick yesterday but you still need to eat."

"He might not be awake yet," Allelujah said, "He tends to sleep in late the day after being sick."

"Yeah, the kid is still asleep," Neil said as he sat down at the table, "I just checked on him."

"Is his fever down?" Sumeragi asked.

"I didn't check for that," Neil said, "I just popped my head in to see how he was doing."

Sumeragi sighed again, "If he's still asleep right now then odds are, Tieria's still running a fever," She said, "I mean he has another day to recover but I'm still worried about him…he's been through so much…"

"I don't think the kid is still sick," Neil said, "Remember that time a few years back when Tieria came down with the flu?" Sumeragi nodded, "He spent almost that entire week sleeping. Even after his fever fell he still slept a lot more than usual. Give it another day or two, the kid's probably still exhausted."

"I guess you're right," Sumeragi said, "It does take Tieria a while to recover from illness."

"Sorry we're late," Destiny said as she and Mileina walked into the room.

"Mileina-chan," Marie said, "Were you able to duplicate the device that I lent you?"

"Yes I did," Mileina said, "I just hope it works. Papa's a lot better at making devices like that than I am…"

"I'm sure it will work."

"Tieria!" Neil exclaimed as the boy grabbed the last breakfast tray and sat down at the table, "This is a rarity. Normally I'm the last one here."

"You look a lot better today Tieria," Sumeragi said as she walked up to the boy, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Tieria responded.

Sumeragi placed her hand on Tieria's forehead, "You're not very warm," She said, "Have you checked your temperature yet?"

"It's thirty-seven point four," Tieria said as he rested his head on his left arm while his right arm was strapped to his chest with the sling, "I feel a lot better today, but I'm still not feeling very well."

"Yeah," Sumeragi said, "You don't quite have a fever but it's still a little high. We attack the satellite weapon tomorrow so you still have another day to rest."

Tieria nodded then started to pick at his breakfast, "I should be fine by then," he said, "I just need a bit more rest."

"Ano…Erde-san," Mileina called.

"What is it Mileina?" Tieria asked.

"Um…are you feeling well enough to come to the hangar's office after breakfast?" She asked, "I want to test the device," She paused, "But if you're not feeling well enough we can wait until tomorrow. I don't want you to push yourself."

"I'm feeling well enough," Tieria said, "I'm not feeling sick anymore, I'm just feeling rather tired and listless today."

"Okay," Mileina said, "Could you wear your flight suit? I know it's probably a pain with your arm the way it is…"

"No it's fine," Tieria said, "Give me about ten minutes after breakfast and I'll meet you in the office."

"Thank you Erde-san."

* * *

After breakfast Destiny and Tieria headed down to the hangar's office.

"You do realize that there's a good chance that Mileina will make you mentally attack me," Tieria said, "You're the same type as Miracle so you will probably give me a rather severe headache."

"I know…" Destiny muttered. She wasn't fond of the idea of attacking Tieria and making him suffer but if it was necessary then it couldn't be helped, "And…I'm not the same type as Miracle…well I am but we're not connected like most pairs. During Trans-am Raiser Gene-kun told me that I'm connected to the two of you in some way."

"That's really odd," Tieria said, "We don't look alike…"

"Neil-san seems to think we do," Destiny said, "He's brought it up several times. The first time he did, you were still unconscious from when you self-destructed your mobile suit. Has the little book I found proved useful?"

"Not really," Tieria said, "I read some of it last night. But all the entries mentioning my name or Jori are written in German and last night I really didn't feel up to trying to translate it. Although the woman worked for Celestial Being and she knew Ribbons. However she referred to him as an Innovade not an Innovator. Do you have any idea what an Innovade is?"

"No, I don't," Destiny said, "I've never heard that before. Are you sure you weren't misreading Innovator?"

"I don't know," Tieria said, "It was late and I wasn't feeling well when I read it. Maybe I was misreading it."

"What constitutes as late?" Destiny said with a smirk, "You rarely stay up past ten thirty so it must have been what? Ten forty-five?" She said jokingly.

"I was up until nearly midnight," Tieria said.

"Oh," Destiny said, "Sorry about that then. Wow that really is late for you. No wonder you slept in so late today!"

"You've eased up a lot Destiny," Tieria said with a soft smile.

"Do you think so?"

"Yes," Tieria said, "I'm glad."

"Well I don't have to worry about you as much here," She said, "I was always afraid of what Ribbons was going to do to you. He never really liked you at all. I don't feel like I'm walking on eggshells here like I did when I was with Ribbons. I can ease up here. You've changed a lot too."

"I'm back where I belong," Tieria said, "With people who won't lead me to my death once they get tired of having me around. Granted everyone is still very cautious around me but I don't blame them for that. I was very arrogant four years ago. I wasn't as bad as Ribbons is but I could say some very harsh things to everyone. They can't separate the Tieria Erde from four years ago from the Tieria Erde now."

"They'll get used to the person you are now," Destiny said.

Tieria nodded as he opened the door to the office.

"Oh good," Mileina said, "You made it." She handed Tieria his helmet, "Wish-san, could you help Erde-san put his helmet on?"

Destiny helped Tieria put his helmet on while being mindful of the wires attached to it.

"Where is the device?" Tieria asked.

"It's located on the left side of your helmet," Mileina said, "There should be a small switch just above where the speaker is. And it can be turned on and off as you need it."

"What do you want me to do?" Destiny asked.

Mileina sighed, "I'm sorry," She said, "But I'm going to need you to mentally attack Erde-san."

Destiny sighed and nodded, "I'm sorry Tieria-kun," She muttered as she did what she was told to do. It didn't feel right to attack the quantum brainwave signature she had spent so much time trying to protect from mental attacks of this nature. But it needed to be done.

Tieria nodded then pain exploded in his head and he screamed. He felt his knees give out but Mileina quickly guided him the chair she had been using.

"T-Tieria-san," Mileina called taking Destiny's advice, "Use the switch! It's on the left side of your helmet!" She wanted to active the switch for him but Tieria would have to figure out how to do it without help if he was to be attacked on the battlefield. She bit her lip as Tieria grabbed his head and continued to scream.

Tieria shakily reached for the left side of his helmet and hit the small switch and immediately the pain lessened a bit.

Mileina quickly activated the small computer that was attached to the wires, "Hold on Tieria-san," She said, "I just need to adjust a few things. Just hold on, I know you're in a lot of pain right now."

"Don't worry about it," Tieria muttered, "Just do what you need to do."

Mileina nodded as she started to program the small device to how Tieria's brainwaves were reacting. Once she managed to sync the small device to the data she had Tieria pitched forwards a bit and she thought for one agonizing moment that Tieria had lost consciousness. But then he slowly straightened up and stopped clutching his head and screaming in pain, "Did it work?" She asked.

"I'm still trying to attack him," Destiny said.

"The pain is completely gone," Tieria said, "I think it's safe to say it's working."

"Turn it back off," Mileina said, "You can turn it right back on I just need to be absolutely sure."

Tieria nodded. He hit the small switch again and the migraine pitch headache returned full force. He then quickly pushed the button again and the pain vanished, "Is that alright?" He asked gasping for breath a bit.

"Your reaction to turning it off was all I needed," Mileina said, "I think it's safe to assume that it works."

"Thank you Mileina," Tieria said as Destiny helped him remove his helmet.

"You're welcome Tieria-san," Mileina said with a smile.

"Mileina…" Tieria gasped as he turned towards the girl.

"I'm sorry Erde-san," Mileina exclaimed as she turned bright red again, "Wish-san suggested that I should call you by your first name since…I'm sorry if I offended you."

"It's fine," Tieria said, "I was just surprised. Feldt is normally the only person you're on a first name basis with. You didn't offend me and you should call me by my first name if you want to."

Mileina nodded, "Hai," she said, "Thank you Tieria-san."

"No thank _you_ Mileina-chan," Tieria said as he turned for the door with Destiny.

"You're welcome, Tieria-san," Mileina exclaimed back. Tieria never used chan or kun with anyone's name and it left her feeling giddy, "I hope you feel better."

"What are you going to do today?" Destiny asked once they were out in the hall.

"I'm probably going to rest in my room today," Tieria said, "I'm still feeling rather tired and weak."

"Okay sounds good," Destiny said, "You need to be in top form for tomorrow. I'm going to head back to the hangars to help with the final repairs."

Tieria nodded as he parted ways with Destiny.

* * *

As Tieria headed to his room he ran into Anew.

"Ah just the person I wanted to see," Anew said, "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm still a little weak," Tieria said, "But I'm not feeling sick anymore."

"That's good," Anew said, "Could you come to the medical room? I want to examine your arm again."

Tieria nodded as he followed the lavender haired young woman to the medical room. When they got to the medical room Anew helped Tieria remove the sling and the top of his flight suit. She removed the bandages and examined the wound.

"It's looking good, Tieria-san," Anew said, "Wear the sling for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, you won't need it."

"Thank you," Tieria said as Anew dabbed a medicine on to the wound then re-bandaged it.

"Take it easy today," Anew said, "Your temperature is still a little high. We don't need your fever to come back."

"I'm planning on resting today," Tieria said, "There are a few things I want to check up on."

"Okay," Anew said, "Take care."

"You too."

* * *

_Hilling sighed as she watched over a small boy. The child was lying comatose in a hospital bed. The boy was of extremely frail health and she often wondered if this most recent illness was going to end the child's life. He was hooked up to several machines that had taken over for his failing body. She sighed inwardly, would the child even wake up? His body couldn't function on its own, if it could, he wouldn't be here._

"_Has he gotten any better?"_

"_Ribbons," Hilling gasped as she was pulled from her thoughts by her genetic twin, "No…he hasn't gotten any better."_

"_I see…" Ribbons said as he walked over to the IV line, "He's been ill for a long time…" He said as he disconnected the drip the child had been on and took out a syringe, "I guess this is for the best then."_

_Hilling turned as Ribbons inserted the needle into the line, "Ribbons!" She gasped, "What are you doing!"_

"_Putting him out of his misery," Ribbons said, "A child with such a weak body will never be of any use to us." He then injected the contents of the syringe into the child's bloodstream, "Don't worry, it will kill him quickly and painlessly. Don't look at it as me killing him. Look at it as me…ridding him of a life of pain." He turned towards the door, "I'll inform the doctors that he's coding…again. But it's a shame they won't be able to revive him this time…"_

_Hilling couldn't believe what Ribbons had just done. She embraced the small boy and sobbed, there was no saving him now. She sobbed until the rising and falling of the young child's chest stopped and the heart monitor screamed that the life had faded from the small purple-haired boy._

"_Sam…I'm sorry," She sobbed, "Ribbons…killed your son…"_

* * *

Hilling woke drenched in a cold sweat and shaking badly.

"Is something wrong Hilling?"

She looked over and saw the last person she wanted to see at the moment, "Ribbons…" she muttered as she wiped the tears and sweat from her eyes, "It was just a nightmare."

"Perhaps I should do something about that," Ribbons said, "You suffer from those quite often. Perhaps a sleeping pill will quiet your dreams? They worked well with Tieria Erde."

"No," Hilling said. Ribbons' "sleeping pills" made Tieria extremely sick and at one point nearly killed him. She had seen firsthand what they could do and she didn't want to go through with that. "I don't need any of your prescriptions."

"I see," Ribbons said, "Anyway, I have a mission for you. You'll be joining the A-Laws with Revive, Bring and Devine. There's been word that Celestial Being is going to launch an operation against the Momento Mori. I'll need you to go and stop them. The others are busy with another mission."

Hilling nodded. She couldn't say she was upset that she was leaving Ribbons. Ever since that one time she had grown to, at times, loathe her genetic twin, "I understand," She said.

"Here's your flight suit," He said as he placed it on her bed, "Hurry up, you're scheduled to leave in less than ten minutes."

"Alright," She grumbled. /It would have been nice of you to tell me this _yesterday_/ she though maliciously.

As she changed she thought about the dream. Had that really happened? Had Ribbons really killed a child? She figured that she would have remembered such an event. Especially if she had some kind of deep connection to the child in question and based on how upset she was in the dream, there was some sort of connection between her and that young child.

"Just what was that dream?" She wondered aloud as she prepared to depart for her new home.

* * *

Once Tieria had returned to his room he changed out of his flight suit and picked up the small book he had left by his bed the night before. He flipped to an entry and started reading.

"_You'll never guess what happened to me today! Naissance asked me to marry him! I was so shocked I could only nod in response. It was all so sudden! I'm still in shock. Everyone keeps congratulating me. I've only known Naissance for a few months and we're going to get married. But then again in this line of work, you never know what's going to happen from day to day. Ren Claire."_

"_Naissance changed his name today. He wanted a name that wouldn't stand out so much. The two of us are being transferred to one of our agencies in Germany and Naissance Rivière stands out too much. He asked me the names of my father and grandfather. My father's name was Samuel and my grandfather's name was Michael. So Naissance's new name is Samuel Michael Rioux. He chose a French Canadian last name for me. Although, it is going to take some time to get used to calling my husband Sam. Ren Claire."_

/I heard the name Sam in that dream I had/ Tieria thought, /Come to think about it, I heard the name Ren as well. But who are they? And…what is their connection to me?/ He flipped to the last section that had been written in French and read it.

"_Today I found out that I'm pregnant with my first child. I had been feeling ill for several weeks. Sam finally convinced me to see a doctor and I'm nearly three months pregnant! No wonder I've been incredibly nauseous yet ravenously hungry at the same time. And the strange cravings have already started. Yesterday I ate nearly an entire bag of potato chips and I dipped each chip in maple syrup. I felt so sick afterwards I spent nearly four hours in the washroom and that's when Sam decided that I needed to see a doctor. I can't wait to become a mother, although in this day and age, seventeen is a little young. But I'm ready for the challenges! Ren Claire."_

Tieria flipped through several pages of the young woman practicing German before he came across one last entry in French.

"_I found out I'm having a girl today. I'm so excited! We held out on the baby's gender for nearly eight months but I just couldn't wait any longer. I was getting tired of calling her an it. So after the doctor's appointment Sam and I started to pick out baby names and I think we've decided on one, Jori. It was my grandmother's name and Sam likes it. I'm already on leave from Celestial Being. My stomach's gotten rather large and it's hard to move around. I can't wait, just another several weeks and I'll get to meet my little daughter Jori. Ren Claire and Jori."_

Tieria sighed as he put the book down. He had already flipped through the rest of the book and it was all in German. /This young couple are Jori's parents/ He thought /And If Jori is possibly my sister then…these people are my parents as well…But that can't be right. I wasn't born, I was created…Could Veda's information be wrong? Or.../ he remembered the incident with the Trinity's four years ago, /Was Veda's information altered somehow.../

He walked over to his computer and brought up a search. /If these people were members of Celestial Being then they should be in our back-up databanks/ he thought. Celestial Being often filed records outside of Veda should anything happen. These records were strictly used as back-up should their systems fail somehow.

He typed in Naissance Rivière into the search bar and what he found frustrated him.

"Member not found?" He read, "Let's try his changed name."

He repeated the search with the name Samuel Michael Rioux but merited the same results. He tried the woman's name and again found nothing.

/I wish I still I had access to Veda…/ Tieria thought.

"_What are you looking for?" _A voice resonated in his head.

"Regene…!" Tieria gaped. It had been a while since he had heard his twin's voice, "What are you doing?"

"_Checking up on you little brother," _Regene said, _"It's been a while since I heard from you last. I wanted to talk to you the last time Setsuna used Trans-Am Raiser but you were repelling mental links. I was going to talk to you yesterday but you weren't feeling well so I held off. You do get rather cranky when you're not feeling well."_

"So I've been told," Tieria murmured back wincing slightly at Regene's old nickname for him, "I don't mind us chatting but what will happen if Ribbons finds out?"

"_He won't find out," _Regene said, _"He can't interrupt links between the two of us at all. He can't even listen in. So what are you looking for?"_

"Information on two former members of Celestial Being," Tieria said.

"_Oh…"_ Regene said, _"I'm afraid I can't help you there. My access level isn't high enough for that."_

"I figured you wouldn't be able to," Tieria said, "Do you know what an Innovade is?"

"_Where did you hear that?" _Regene asked.

"In a small journal that Destiny found with some of my belongings,"Tieria said, "It was mentioned in one of the entries. Do you know what it is?"

"_I do,"_ Regene said, _"Ribbons, Hilling, Miracle, Bring and Devine are all Innovades. But Destiny, you and I are different. We're not Innovades but we're not Innovators either."_

"So, even though Ribbons calls himself an Innovator, he's an Innovade?" Tieria asked, "Then what's an Innovator?"

"_An Innovator is a human that 'evolves' for lack of a better term," _Regene said, _"They're far superior to the Innovades. They can do everything that Innovades can do but the strength of their quantum brainwaves is beyond what any of us could ever hope to imagine. There are no true Innovators yet, just a pathetic failed attempt. However, Setsuna is close to 'evolving' into an Innovator. I hope he can do it."_

"It's Setsuna," Tieria said, "He'll change. I'm sure of it."

"_So…anyway, Ribbons has given orders to Miracle to mentally attack you," _Regene said, _"I know how you react to that and I want you to be careful."_

"We've already gotten that under control," Tieria said, "One of our mechanics built a device that blocks quantum brainwaves for me. We tested it out this morning and it works."

"_That's good,"_ Regene said, _"Ribbons wants to eliminate you and Destiny. He's afraid of the two of you and me as well. Which is why he keeps an annoying close eye on me. You, Destiny and I are different from the others. If we want to take down Ribbons we need to figure out what that difference is." _Regene sighed, "_Hey I have to go. Ribbons is looking for me. Take care Tieria."_

"You too Regene," Tieria said. He sighed as the link was broken. He was worried about what Regene had told him. Ribbons was still out to kill him and Destiny as well. However Regene had provided him with at least one answer. He now knew what an Innovade was. He walked back over to his bed and removed his jacket, boots and glasses. He was rather tired and the nagging headache that he had had the day before had returned. And he figured if he took a little nap it would hopefully go away.

* * *

Mileina stayed up all night to work on the device for Tieria and it works. She was also able to call him Tieria-san instead of Erde-san. And today's nightmare victim was Hilling. So what exactly was that little scene she saw? Once again Tieria's hit a brick wall in the search for the names that keep haunting him. When will he discover the truth? Well until next time Minna-san. Ja ne!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	22. Puzzling Messages

Konnichiwa Minna-san! It's been a while hasn't it? For some reason when I'm not in school I suffer from crazy writer's block. But it doesn't matter, I need to take breaks here and there right? I don't have much to say about this chapter so after the disclaimer (that you can skip by the way, it's only been around for the past twenty-one chapters) you can get started. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two: Puzzling Messages

Destiny walked into Tieria's room a few hours later and found him asleep. She sighed. She didn't want to disturb him but Sumeragi had sent her to find him. She could tell just by looking at him that he still wasn't feeling well. She placed her hand on Tieria's forehead. The Meister's skin wasn't terribly warm but its temperature wasn't normal either.

"Tieria-kun," She called softly, "Tieria-kun, wake up." The purple haired boy stirred a little bit but did not open his eyes. Destiny bit her lip, /He's not waking up/She thought, /He's probably exhausted. Because he spent so long locked up by that bastard, he's exhausting himself just doing half of what he used to. I really hope things get easier for him/

"Tieria-kun," She called a little louder, "Wake up."

"Destiny…" Tieria muttered as he slowly opened his garnet eyes, "What is it?"

"I'm sorry," She said, "I didn't mean to wake you but Sumeragi-san wants to talk to you for a little bit."

"It's alright," Tieria said, "I didn't want to sleep too long today. I need to be in full form for tomorrow and I'm still not feeling very well."

"Do you want me to call Sumeragi-san and tell her that you just want to rest today?" Destiny asked.

"That won't be necessary," Tieria said as he replaced his glasses, boots and jacket, "Did Sumeragi say where she'll be?"

"She's in her room," Destiny said.

"Thank you Destiny," Tieria said as he left his room, "What have you been doing?"

"I've been doing little things here and there," Destiny said, "I've been training on the simulators for about an hour or so every day. If I'm going to be acting as your backup I want to make sure I don't hold you back in battle."

"You're not going to hold me back," Tieria said, "You were able to get me back after I had been shot."

"I ended up passing you off to Allelujah-san," Destiny said, "He was the one who got you back to the Ptolemaios before your condition could become dangerous. You would have been in serious trouble if I had tried to get you back myself."

"When I started feeling ill during the battle the other day you did a fine job after I gave you control," Tieria said, "I have full confidence in your ability to pilot."

"Thank you Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "What are you going to do when you're done talking with Sumeragi-san?"

"I might work on the simulator for a little while," Tieria said, "Depending how I feel."

"You should rest," Destiny said, "You're still not feeling well and if you don't get an adequate amount of rest today, you may still feel sick tomorrow."

"I'll be alright," Tieria said as he headed off to Sumeragi's quarters.

* * *

Sumeragi was looking over some of Tieria's statistics when the boy entered the room, "You wanted to see me?" He asked.

"I wanted to see how you were feeling," Sumeragi said, "You haven't been doing very well recently." Most of Tieria's piloting stats had been usually low for the Meister. But considering what he had been through and the condition in which they had recovered him in they were lucky that he was still able to pilot. The boy's health had also been affected but she had no idea what he had been through during the time he was missing in action. She wanted to ask him what he had been through but she didn't want to force him into confiding that information if he wasn't ready to.

"I've been alright," Tieria said, "I've just been more tired recently."

"That's what I'm worried about," Sumeragi said, "Are you sure you'll be up to the battles we'll be facing in the future?"

"I will have to be," Tieria said.

"And what do you think will happen if you collapse in the middle of a battle like you did the other day?" Sumeragi asked.

"I can pass control to Destiny if that happens," Tieria said.

"I just don't like the situation you're in right now," Sumeragi said, "I just can't help but worry about you."

"I know you can't," Tieria said, "But I can assure you, I'll be alright."

"Okay," Sumeragi said, "There's also another thing I wanted to ask you. You don't have to answer me if you don't want to but I want to know what happened to you in the past four years."

"I was locked in a room no bigger than a closet for the four years," Tieria said, "I was forced to fight in a mobile suit I wasn't used to. And if I refused to fight…that bastard would use Veda force his way into my mind and take control of my body. That's what happened both times I attacked Setsuna."

"That's awful…" Sumeragi gasped as she placed her hand on Tieria's shoulder.

"To keep me subdued and under his control, that bastard would inject me with tranquilizers every night and because of them, food made me extremely sick," Tieria said, "I was confronted by Setsuna at Proud when Celestial Being made their debut and…I asked him to kill me."

"You…asked Setsuna…to _kill_ you?" Sumeragi asked aghast.

"I did," Tieria said softly as he bowed his head a bit, "I just wanted it to end. That man was going to kill me and I didn't want that man to end my life. Before that man took control of my body I told Setsuna that I would rather have a comrade end my life. Setsuna told me that he couldn't kill me…I'm glad he didn't. Little did I know about a week later I would be rescued and returned to the place I belong."

Sumeragi sighed and placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. She took a close look at Tieria's features. He was still rather pale and he had dark circles beneath his dull garnet eyes. However she knew that Tieria's current façade was just the result of being sick the day before and that once he felt better the color would return to his face and his eyes would regain their normal vivid garnet hue. Other than the remnants of the fever that were present on the boy's face, Tieria had regained the healthy look he had lost over the past four years. /He's improved so much in the short time he's been back with us/ Sumeragi thought, /Maybe things will get better for him/

"Is everything alright?" Tieria asked.

"Yeah," Sumeragi said as she placed her hand on Tieria's forehead. He wasn't warm but she could tell that his temperature was still higher than normal, "You still don't look like you're feeling very well Tieria. Are you feeling alright?"

"I've felt better," Tieria responded, "But I feel better than I did yesterday."

"What are you going to do?" Sumeragi asked.

"I'm probably going to work on the simulator for a little while," Tieria said, "I want to make sure I'm ready for tomorrow."

"You really shouldn't Tieria," Sumeragi said, "You really should rest. You don't have a fever right now but your temperature isn't normal right now either. It's not going to take much for you to spike a fever again."

"I know," Tieria said, "I won't train for very long."

Sumeragi sighed, "If you insist," She said, "But please, don't do anything to make yourself sick again. If you start feeling even a little bit tired I want you to stop training and get some rest. The Seravee is going to play a major part in tomorrow's battle and if you can't sortie it will put us in a tough spot."

"I understand," Tieria said as he stood up and turned for the door, "I'll talk to you at supper."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "Just take it easy!"

* * *

When Tieria got to the hangar he found that Ian and Mileina were doing work on his Gundam.

"What's going on?" Tieria asked Mileina as the young girl abandoned her work and floated over to him.

"We're doing some last minute updates," Mileina said, "Why do you ask?"

"I wanted to work on the simulator a little bit," Tieria said.

"Sorry Tieria," Ian called from Seraphim's cockpit, "You're gonna have to wait a while."

"Did Sumeragi put you up to this?" Tieria asked.

"No," Mileina said, "We're doing this with all the Gundams. If we didn't update the Gundams before major battles who _knows_ what would happen."

"That's true," Tieria said, "But I guess this is for the best then. Sumeragi didn't want me to train anyway. She doesn't want me to overdo it today."

"I agree with her," Mileina said, "You were sick yesterday and you still don't look very well today. We'll need you tomorrow."

Tieria nodded and turned to leave when a sharp pain shot through his head and he sank to his knees clutching his head.

"Tieria-san!" Mileina cried as she rushed to Tieria's side, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Tieria muttered as the pain held strong, "It feels like there's an Innovator nearby…"

"Papa," Mileina called, "I'm going to take Tieria-san back to his room. If there is an Innovator nearby then he shouldn't stay in the hangar."

"Sounds good," Ian called back.

Mileina helped Tieria stand and she led him from the hangar, "Are you going to be okay Tieria-san?"

Tieria nodded and continued to hold his head.

"_Tieria!"_A voice cried out in his head.

"Destiny?" He called back failing to notice the lack of the honorific that Destiny normally used with his name.

"_No,"_ The voice called, _"It's Hilling."_

Tieria gritted his teeth, "What do you want?" He growled back.

"_I was just checking in," _She called, _"And to apologize…for shooting you…"_

"First you shoot me and now you're _apologizing_ for it?" Tieria shot back, "Why the hell would you do that? I'm your enemy! You've always hated me so why the sudden change of heart?"

"_You may not remember it," _Hilling said, _"But there was a time when you trusted me with your life."_

"I never trusted you!" Tieria exclaimed, "I never trusted any of you bastards! You nearly killed me!"

"_That bastard really did erase your memories," _Hilling sighed, _"Since Regene wants you to figure things out on your own, I'll just tell you this…you weren't always an Innovator. I was your caretaker before…they changed you."_

"Nani!"

"_I've said all I can," _Hilling said, _"Ribbons is monitoring me now…and I don't want the pain to overwhelm you. I know how you get when anyone besides Regene and Destiny try to establish a mental link with you. Take care…"_

"Tieria-san…" Mileina gasped as the purple haired Meister opened his eyes, "Your eyes…"

"What about them?" Tieria asked softly as the pain started to diminish.

"You had them closed for a while but then when you opened them, they were gold," She said, "It was only for not even a second but your eyes were gold."

"One of the Innovators contacted me for some reason," Tieria said, "Our eyes turn gold whenever a mental link has been established."

"I see," Mileina asked, "What did they want?"

"I'm trying to figure that out," Tieria said as they got to his room, "Thank you Mileina. I'll be fine from here."

"Okay," Mileina said, "I hope you feel better."

"Thanks," Tieria said as he entered his room. He couldn't understand Hilling at all. It always seemed as though she hated him so why did she worry about him so much? And was what she said true? It had to be that child he had met during Setsuna's Trans-Am Raiser said something similar. Now he had to figure out just what it meant…but he was going to sleep for a little while first.

* * *

Tieria had to just about drag himself to supper. He had been woken up by Destiny about five minutes before hand and now he sat at the table just picking at his supper. He was feeling slightly feverish and he wasn't sure if it was whatever he had had the night before trying to make him feel awful for a little while longer before he recovered from it completely. Or if it had anything to do with what Hilling had done earlier in the day. But whatever it was it had him feeling slightly warm, tired and his head was aching because of it.

"Are you alright Tieria?" Neil asked as he noticed Tieria's actions.

"I'm just tired," Tieria muttered.

"You should go right to bed after this," Sumeragi said, "You need to be well rested for tomorrow."

"Yeah," Lyle said, "We want you to be in top form. I mean the most action you've seen was that time you went berserk, blew up your mobile suit and nearly killed Setsuna and Allelujah. And that was ages ago."

Tieria sighed and abandoned his fork and stood up, "I'm not feeling very well," He muttered, "I'm going to lie down for a while. Please excuse me…"

Neil sighed as Tieria left the room, "You just _had_ to bring that up again didn't you?" He asked his brother, "I highly doubt that Tieria wants to be reminded of that again. I mean how you would like it if you had done something similar, wanted to forget about but was then reminded of it on a day when you felt like absolute crap?"

"I have to agree," Sumeragi said, "Tieria is still very sensitive about what he's done, and it's only going to be worse now that he's not feeling well. Do you honestly think Tieria _wanted_ to do what he did that day?"

Lyle was about to comment back when he remembered what Tieria had told him the last time he had crossed the line with him. _"I'LL TELL YOU HOW MUCH I ENJOYED IT!_ _I enjoyed it so damn much I activated the self-destruct mechanism on my mobile suit ever damn time I was forced to sortie! I pushed that goddamned button six damn times! Alright, SIX DAMN TIMES! And yet five out of the six times, nothing happened. And do you know why?"_ Tieria's voice resonated in Lyle's head, _"Because Veda, the quantum processing unit that was once the backbone of our organization with no emotions, seems to have more of a heart than you do!"_

"I owe Tieria another apology don't I?" Lyle asked.

"That would be nice," Sumeragi said.

"I have to agree," Neil said.

Lyle sighed as he stood up, "I'll be back."

* * *

Lyle sighed as he stood at Tieria's door. He punched his access code into the small keypad near the door then cautiously entered the darkened room. Tieria was lying on his bed with a cloth over his eyes and forehead, and his jacket and glasses were floating near his bed.

"Tieria…" He called quietly, "Tieria…are you awake?"

"What do you want?" He asked miserably.

"I want to apologize to you," Lyle said, "What I said to you back there was out of line and I'm sorry."

"Is that all?" Tieria asked.

"Yeah," Lyle said as he walked to the door, "I'll let you rest now."

"Thank you," Tieria muttered.

Lyle sighed, /He's really not feeling well/ He thought, /I should have kept my mouth shut/

* * *

Sumeragi sighed as she placed her hand on Tieria's forehead. He was slightly warm and sweaty. /His fever is back…/ She thought as Tieria stirred. "Tieria…are you awake?" she asked. They had just finished up from supper and she just wanted to make sure Tieria was alright after he walked out on them.

"Sumeragi Li Noriega…?" Tieria muttered tiredly as he opened his dull garnet eyes, "What is it?"

"I was worried about you after you stormed off like that," Sumeragi said, "You're still not feeling well are you?"

Tieria shook his head.

"How high is your fever?"

"Thirty-seven point nine."

"That's not high but it's definitely a fever. I told you not to work on the simulator today," Sumeragi said as she brushed some of Tieria's violet hair out of his face, "You've gone and gotten yourself sick again."

"I didn't end up working on the simulator," Tieria responded, "Ian was making adjustments to my Gundam. I was contacted by one of them…she told me that I wasn't always an Innovator."

"What does that mean?" Sumeragi asked.

"I wish I knew…" Tieria muttered as he shut his eyes.

"What do you think it means?" Sumeragi asked.

"I don't know," Tieria whispered, "I've been getting answers about my past but…they're never clear enough for me to understand. According to what I've been told my memories before a certain point in my life were erased and I'm pretty sure I must have been born human…then genetically altered later in my life…but I don't know…It's so confusing. I just want a straight answer!"

"You shouldn't work yourself up," Sumeragi said softly, "You're not feeling well. Do you need anything?"

"Sleep…" Tieria mumbled, "Tell Destiny that I don't want to wake up and find her at my bedside."

"Alright I'll let her know," Sumeragi said, "Sleep well Tieria. If you need anything at all during the night don't hesitate to call me."

Tieria nodded and Sumeragi left the room.

"How is he?" Destiny asked.

"He's running a slight fever again," Sumeragi said, "He says he'll be alright for tomorrow. It's probably the tail end of whatever he had yesterday."

"Let's hope so," Destiny said, "Did he tell you what his temperature is?"

"He said it was thirty-seven point nine," Sumeragi said, "It's still a low grade fever."

"We should monitor him closely," Destiny said, "Just to make sure he doesn't get worse."

"He doesn't want us to," Sumeragi said, "He told me that he doesn't want to find you at his bedside when he wakes up."

Destiny sighed, "If that's what he wants," She said, "Then I shall respect his wishes. Have a good night Noriega-san."

"You too Destiny," Sumeragi said as they went their separate ways for the night.

* * *

_Tieria came to in another situation that he couldn't understand. Like that the last time he couldn't make anything out, he felt extremely weak, tired and slightly feverish. However unlike the last time, he could recognize at least two of the voices._

"_He's _still_ not well?" A male voice that sent chills down his spine said, "What have you been doing?" _

"_He hasn't responded to any of the treatments we've tried," Another voice said, "We've done almost everything we could, sir. His body wasn't in good condition when we started the process. There's the possibility that his body won't hold up to the modifications that were made."_

"_So what do we do about it?" Another familiar male voice said, "We're supposed to send him to Celestial Being tomorrow."_

"_We send him anyway," The first voice said, "He'll be no use to us in this state. Celestial Being can figure out what to do with him."_

"_I have to agree," A familiar female voice said, "Such a sickly person will never be of use to us."_

_Hilling," The first male voice said, "You agree?"_

"_I do," Hilling said._

"_Are you afraid that he'll recognize you?" The man asked, "There's no need to worry about that. His memory has been completely wiped. He wouldn't even recognize his own parents and older siblings."_

"_Of course I'm not worried about that," Hilling said, "His own brother couldn't recognize him." _

"_Or perhaps you can't bring yourself to face him," Ribbons said, "After you failed to heed his father's wishes."Hilling fell silent, "I'm guessing that's also the reason why you cut your hair. But it doesn't matter, he'll be Celestial Being's problem after tomorrow. And odds are we'll never have to deal with him again because he probably won't live long enough to ever pilot a Gundam."_

"_And if he lives?"_

"_Then odds are he won't be healthy enough to pilot," The first man said, "And we still won't have to worry about him."_

"_And should he defy all odds and somehow recover?"_

"_We kill him," The first man said, "But either way he won't live long enough with Celestial Being to be much of a threat to us. And my only regret with sending him away is that he'll more than likely die at another pilot's hands before I'm able to end his life with mine."_

"_Ribbons!" Hilling cried, "But he's one of us!"_

"_That's where you're wrong Hilling," Ribbons said, "He will never be strong enough for me to acknowledge him as one of us. He's awake now and I'm going to take my leave. Hilling can stay here if she really wants while the two of you will come with me. Let's leave her alone to say good bye while he's still semi-conscious." _

_After a few moments Tieria felt a cool hand on his forehead and a second hand take his left hand. "I don't know if you'll ever be able to forgive me," Hilling said, "We were in a lose-lose situation. If I didn't bring you here, you would have died, but you won't live long this way either. No matter what I did, I would have led you to your death. You couldn't even recognize your older brother and sister when you woke up…and that look of absolute terror on your face was too much for me to handle. I left you alone and…I'll be forced to leave you alone again."_

_Tieria opened his eyes and attempted to respond back but he couldn't. He squinted and he could almost see the tears running down the green haired girl's face. He attempted to squeeze her hand but his body wasn't responding to his command. He felt bad for the stranger in front of him she obviously knew him but he didn't know her. /Who are you?/ He thought with the hope that maybe she would get his message._

"_T-chan!" Hilling exclaimed, "My name is Hilling, Hilling Care. You…don't remember me…do you?"_

_/No…How do you know me?/_

"_I took care of you back when you were still human," Hilling said._

_/I was never human…I never had a brother or a sister/_

"_He really did erase your memories then," Hilling muttered, "Someday I swear I'll help you restore your forgotten memories but for now this is goodbye. I hope we get to meet again someday, Tieria Benjamin Thibault-Rioux…"_

* * *

"That's not my name…" Tieria muttered as he woke up in his quarters on the Ptolemaios. He slowly sat up and looked around his room. /What was that dream…/ he thought. He reached for his glasses and checked the time on his watch, /It's only four thirty…I should get more sleep/

"Tieria, Tieria," A monotone robotic voice chanted.

"Haro…" He muttered tiredly, "What are you doing here?"

"Neil's orders! Neil's orders!" Haro chirped, "Are you okay? Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," Tieria muttered, "I just had an odd dream."

Haro floated up to Tieria and handed him a water bottle, "Here's some water! Here's some water."

"Thank you Haro," Tieria muttered as he took the water.

When he finished with the water Haro reached up and pulled Tieria's glasses from his face, "Get some sleep. Get some sleep." Haro chanted.

"Am I still sick?" Tieria asked. He wasn't feeling as bad as he felt when he had gone to bed the night before but he was a little too drowsy to evaluate how he felt.

Haro floated up to Tieria and placed his hand to Tieria's forehead, "Nice and cool! Nice and cool," Haro chanted remembering how Neil once checked for a temperature, "Temperature normal! Temperature normal! You're just tired! You're just tired!"

"Thank you Haro," Tieria muttered as he rested against his bed and shut his eyes.

"Sleep well! Sleep well!"

* * *

I think it's safe to assume that the dream he had and what Hilling said to him only confused poor Tieria more. And Lyle's back to being an ass. He really didn't have to bring that up again, especially since Tieria wasn't feeling well. I know that the past few chapters have had little to no action but I promise the next chapter will be less filler and more action. Next chapter they take on the Momento Mori. So until next time, ja ne minna-san!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	23. Remember to Die Remember to Live

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I know it's been a while (again) but I'm back! I can't believe that the last time I updated this was July…it just doesn't seem possible. I don't have much to say about this chapter aside from there is some stronger language towards the end of the chapter, and a character does use the F word. I don't normally like to use such strong language but sometimes there's no other word. It won't happen often and when it does I'll warn you like I'm doing now. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three: Remember to Die, Remember to Live

The next morning Tieria found that there was an unusual amount of tension in the air despite the big mission they had planned for that day. Everyone was on edge, even Mileina was apprehensive. He was trying to eat his breakfast but the thick and heavy silence made the food taste like ash in his mouth.

"What's the matter?" He asked to no one in particular. He just could take the silence any longer, it just wasn't natural, "We're going to destroy the satellite weapon today. So why is everyone so on edge?"

"We know nothing about the satellite weapon," Sumeragi said, "We don't know if it has a weak point or if it can fire into space. And I'm going to guess that a weapon of that caliber is _bound _to be protected by an enemy squadron or two. I'm honestly having second thoughts about this whole operation. There are too many unknown variables to just rush in there without a plan of action."

"What are you talking about?" Tieria exclaimed, "You can't call off the mission!"

"Tieria there are too many risks involved with this mission," Sumeragi said, "I don't want to show up and find that thing crawling with A-Laws mobile suits. The last time we rushed into a battle with unknown odds we lost the first Ptolemy, Setsuna disappeared and both you and Allelujah were captured and three of our crew members were killed. I am not going to go through that again."

"We're all still here are we not?" Tieria asked.

"That's not the point Tieria," Sumeragi said, "I'm not going to go through that again."

"But if we don't destroy that thing more innocent people will get killed," Tieria exclaimed, "We've all seen what that thing is capable of! I will _not _allow that man to have his way! I cannot just sit by while he wipes entire cities out of existence!"

"Tieria!" Sumeragi snapped, "We don't know _anything _about the satellite weapon."

"Has that ever stopped us?" Tieria asked, "None of us knew what we were getting ourselves into when we took our positions. Even _I_ had no idea what I was getting myself into when I accepted the position of Meister. And I was sent directly from Veda."

"Tieria Erde," Sumeragi screamed, "Don't you _dare_ pull that with me again! I _will_ bar you from piloting for insubordination if you continue to speak out at me like that."

"I have to agree with Tieria," Allelujah said meekly. It was extremely unnerving to see Tieria getting screamed, "What the A-Laws is doing isn't right. They're playing god and innocent people are taking the fall for it. Even if we get defeated taking out the satellite weapon at least we'll know that it won't kill any more civilians."

"Allelujah…"

"They're both right," Setsuna said, "We were given the Gundams to create a better future. If we don't destroy the satellite weapon we won't stop the fighting."

"Even if we don't know much about the thing how hard is it to fire at the thing until it blows up?" Lyle asked, "I'm in. They've taken things too far this time."

Sumeragi sighed, "I guess I don't have a choice then," She said, "When you've all finished with breakfast I want you to report to the bridge. We'll figure things out there."

* * *

"Tieria-kun," Destiny said as they walked towards the bridge, "I've never seen you get so worked up about something before."

"I just can't let that man have his way," Tieria said, "I will do whatever possible to make sure his plans fail."

Destiny sighed, "Please don't do anything that will get yourself killed," She said, "I don't think that I could deal with that. The last time you confronted Ribbons in person, you were shot twice. The more you fight against him, the more he's going to want to kill you...and we already know that he wants to kill you."

"I promise, I'll be careful," Tieria said.

"Thank you Tieria-kun."

* * *

When they all arrived in the bridge they watched in horror as a massive particle beam shot through space.

"A third shot was just fired into space…" Anew gasped.

"Feldt analyze it," Sumeragi ordered. If they were able to track the possible trajectory of the beam they would be able to stay out of its path.

"Ryoukai," Feldt responded as she did what she was told to do.

"That thing can fire into space…" Allelujah gasped.

"What were they aiming at?" Neil asked.

"Katharon's space fleet," Lyle growled, "Those damn bastards."

"Katharon's space fleet?" Neil asked, "How do you know that?"

"I just do alright," Lyle said, "Why does it matter?"

"I think you're hiding something from us," Neil said, "Now spill it."

"Now's not the time for that," Sumeragi said, "For now we need to figure out what our mission plan is going to be. The two of you can fight later. Setsuna, prepare to sortie. See if you can protect what is left of Katharon's fleet and get any data they may have on the satellite weapon."

"Ryoukai," Setsuna said as he left the bridge.

Tieria gaze was still locked on the monitor to his left. He felt almost sick to his stomach. He couldn't believe that anyone would make such orders. He couldn't believe that anyone would give orders to completely wipe entire cities out of existence and that there were humans obeying the orders. He knew that Ribbons was the one behind the satellite weapon but _humans_ had constructed the weapon and _humans_ were the ones pulling the trigger. He wanted to believe that there was no human evil and heartless enough to follow through with such orders.

"What's wrong Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "You look a little pale."

"I can't believe that anyone would do such a thing…" Tieria muttered.

"I can," Destiny said, "I've been with Ribbons for a long time and this is something he would do. He views himself as a god so he isn't going to care if he brutally murders millions of humans. He has no regard for human life."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Tieria said, "I know that Ribbons is the only bastard heartless enough to do something like this. I'm referring to the humans who built the weapon and ones following the orders."

"I find it hard to believe as well but there are humans like that out there," Destiny said, "But this is just proof that there are such humans."

Tieria nodded and watched as the Double-0 headed towards the battle airspace.

"Oi Lyle," Neil said, "Since you seem to know so much about Katharon, do you know if they actually have any data on the satellite weapon?"

"I don't know," Lyle said, "That's what Setsuna is going to find out for us."

Tieria watched as another large particle beam shot through space, /There's another new Innovator unit?/ He thought /Who is the pilot?/

"Hilling is the pilot," Destiny responded, "My guess is that it's a modified version of the Gadessa."

Several minutes later the data that Setsuna had obtained was transferred to the Bridge.

"Like we thought," Anew said as she reviewed the data, "It's a free-electron laser strafing device that has access to the orbital ring's particle accelerator."

"Based on the position of the escort fleet the laser has a limited firing range," Feldt said.

Sumeragi sighed as she tried to figure out what to do about the mission when there was a small blip from the computer.

"Noriega-san," Mileina called, "We got what seems to be a coded message from and agent."

"Is it from Wang Liu Mei?" Tieria asked, "Where has she been all this time?"

"Should I open it?" Mileina asked.

"Yes please," Sumeragi said. The data was opened and she was astounded, "It's structural data on the satellite weapon…"

"Where in the world did she get this?" Tieria gasped as he looked at the data.

"Sumeragi," Feldt called, "I found the weak point! It's the electromagnetic optical resonator."

"That decides the mission plan then," Sumeragi said, "And it's going to require the upmost precision between Tieria and Lyle."

"What about the escort fleet?" Lyle asked.

"We blast our way through them," Sumeragi said.

"Is it a mission of precision or a mission of brutality?"

"We're going to need both here," Sumeragi said, "Neil and Destiny can head up to the sub-bridge we'll be needing the weapon control from there."

"Alright," Neil said.

"Now all of you, head to your designated battle stations so we can begin the battle."

"Ryoukai!"

* * *

Hilling growled as she tried to keep up with the Double-0. The blue and white Gundam kept dodging her shots, take a few well aimed shots at her then fly off somewhere to take out a few of the A-Laws units.

"What does Ribbons see in this boy?" Hilling asked herself as she clashed beam swords with the Double-0. She was about to try and overpower the Twin-drive Gundam when something caught her attention. A white ship cloaked in a particle shield streaked by their position. "What?"

"_There they are," _Setsuna muttered.

Hilling watched the ship passed. She turned her GN-Mega Launcher at the ship and was about to fire when she felt a familiar presence, /Tieria!/

"_I'm your opponent!" _Setsuna called as he swung his sword at Hilling again.

"I know you are you stupid human," Hilling growled as she defended the attack, /Please, don't let Tieria get killed during this battle/

* * *

Tieria sighed as he sat in the cockpit of the Seraphim. He could hear what was going on in the bridge and from what he could hear, there were already complications in the mission.

"_Hey Tieria," _Lyle called, _"Are you feeling better today?"_

"I am," Tieria said.

"_Look…about what I said yesterday," _Lyle started, _"I shouldn't have brought that up again. You weren't feeling well yesterday and it was out of line for me to say that to you."_

"It's alright," Tieria said.

"_Are you sure?"_ Lyle said, _"You stormed out of supper last night because of what I said. Is it really alright?"_

"I was feeling ill last night," Tieria said, "Therefore it bothered me more than it should have. What you said was the truth the most action I've seen in a while was the day I returned here. You shouldn't dwell on what happened yesterday. Right now we need to focus on the mission at hand."

"_If you say so…"_ Lyle muttered as the Arios' Trans-am was activated and they just barely dodged the satellite weapon's beam.

* * *

Hilling may have laughed as she watched the Momento Mori fire again but deep inside a feeling a dread washed over her. If the beam did hit its mark the Celestial Being's ship was gone. The beam was so massive that it probably vaporized the ship and everyone inside it before they could take evasive action. She knew that if the beam struck, Tieria was dead.

"It's over," She called to Setsuna, "Your ship was destroyed! You're all alone now!"

"_Don't be too sure of that," _Setsuna responded back.

"Eh?" Hilling then noticed that Celestial Being's ship was glowing red and moving much faster than it had been before the shot was fired. /It used Trans-am…/ She thought, /It wasn't destroyed…Tieria's still alive!/

* * *

Tieria watched as the hatch opened in front of him. They had just broken past most of the A-Laws mobile suits that had forced them into the Satellite weapon's firing range and all that stood before them was the escort fleet and the weapon itself. He watched as the Cherudim's shield bits protected the ship while Arios' trans-am propelled the ship towards its destination. He already had his hand ready to activate Trans-am. He was ready for Sumeragi's orders to fire. He knew that once the Trans-am's time limit ran up they would be close enough to launch the assault.

"_Arios' Trans-Am has reached it's time limit!" _Mileina called.

"_Sumeragi!" _Lasse called.

"_Not yet," _Sumeragi said, _"We're not close enough yet!"_

"_Cherudim's shield bit are almost gone!"_

"_Not yet!"_

There were several more seconds of seconds of silence, _"Now!" Sumeragi cired, "Tieria!"_

"Ryoukai," Tieria responded as he pushed the two buttons, "Trans-am! GN-Bazooka, hyper-burst mode!" He called as he started charging the weapon, "Releasing compressed particles!" He called as he pulled the trigger. He watched as the large beam sphere hit the satellite weapon however he knew that it wasn't going to be enough. As he thought, the weapon was heavily armored and the most power beam any of the Gundams could produce had only blasted a small hole. He couldn't fire another shot either. He had used more than half of the Seravee's GN-Particles and by the time he charged another shot the Trans-am would have reached its time limit. Once the Ptolemaios had finished blasting the rest of the GN-Missiles at the weapon, Tieria knew that the rest was up to the Gundam Meister behind him.

* * *

Lyle was under a lot of pressure. Whether the mission failed or succeeded depended on him now. He knew that he had only one shot to destroy the electromagnetic optical resonator as Tieria had only one shot to blow a hole in the weapon's armor. He spent several seconds aiming then re-aiming just to make sure that he would hit the small box in his sights. He could hear the rest of the crew calling out his name and he was extremely surprised when Tieria called him by the name that his brother passed on to him.

"_Come on little bro," _He heard Neil call, _"Live up to the name I gave ya!"_

Hearing his brother call that gave him the inspiration he needed to pull the trigger, "Lockon Stratos," He yelled, "Targeting and firing!"

He didn't see the satellite weapon explode but he knew that his shot hit the mark perfectly. He watched as the hatch closed and he moved his Gundam back to the hangar followed by Tieria.

"We did it," Lyle called to Tieria as the smaller Meister left his Gundam.

"Yeah, we did," Tieria responded as he replaced his glasses, "We should probably head to the bridge. Sumeragi will probably give us orders to help with the repairs."

"Alright," Lyle said as he turned towards the door. He was just about to leave the hangar when he heard Tieria cry out in pain, "Tieria, what's wrong?" He turned to the purple haired Meister saw that he had fallen to his knees clutching his head, "What's wrong? Is there and an Innovator or whatever they're called around?"

Tieria nodded as he clutched his head, "My helmet…" He gasped, "Get me…my helmet…"

"Alright," Lyle said as he hurried to the Seraphim's cockpit. When he left the cockpit he found Tieria lying on the floor, "Dammit," Lyle cursed when he discovered that Tieria had lost consciousness, "I didn't get it to him in time." He bent down and carefully lifted Tieria off the floor, /Odds are we're being ambushed/ he thought, /I should get him out of the hangar then. But where should I bring him? I could bring him to his room but if he's injured he'll need treatment…I'll bring him to the medical room to be safe/

* * *

Lyle had almost reached the medical room when Tieria had come around.

"Hey, are you alright?" Lyle asked as he carefully set Tieria on the floor.

"Yeah," Tieria muttered as he held his head a bit, "Could I have my helmet please?"

"Yeah sure," Lyle said as he handed Tieria his helmet, "Is that better?"

"Yeah," Tieria said as he slowly stood, "We should head to the bridge. Sumeragi may need our assistance."

"Tieria," Lyle said as he steadied Tieria, "You just fainted. You should rest for a while."

"I'm alright," Tieria said as he started to walk down the hall, "I had four Innovators mentally attack me at once."

"If you're sure," Lyle said as he followed Tieria. After a few meters there was a loud bang. Lyle almost instinctively pushed Tieria to the floor and shielded the boy as the ship was rocked by an explosion. When he looked up he saw that there was a large hole blasted in the part of the hallway they had just left /Goddammit…/ Lyle thought, /We just escaped death! If we had been not even three meters further…we would be dead/

"Are you alright Tieria?" Lyle asked as he straightened up.

"Yeah," Tieria said as he stood up, "Lyle, your arm."

Lyle looked down and saw that there was a piece of shrapnel sticking out of his arm. /Shit…/ he thought as he realized that the piece of metal would have struck Tieria in the neck, /I just saved Tieria's life…/

"_I need all crew members to prepare for an emergency atmospheric reentry!" _Sumeragi voice called.

"This area is no longer air locked," Tieria said as he started to head towards a more secure part of the ship, "If we stay here, the temperature will be too much for us."

"Alright," Lyle said as he followed Tieria, "Both of us have cheated death at least twice today and I don't feel like taking any more chances."

"We'll head to my quarters," Tieria said, "I'll treat your injuries there."

"Sounds good," Lyle said.

* * *

"You know," Lyle said as Tieria started to clean the area around the piece of metal, "I didn't think trying to bring you to the medical room after you fainted would result in _me_ needing medical treatment."

"You should have just brought me here," Tieria said as he applied a tourniquet to Lyle's upper arm, "Why did you try to bring me to the medical room anyway?"

"I thought that you were injured or something," Lyle said, "You kinda freaked me out when you fainted like that."

"Neil jokes about how much I used to faint all the time," Tieria said as he checked his watch, "I'm warning you, this is going to hurt. I don't keep any kind of local anesthesia in here and since the corridor to the medical room was nearly destroyed, I can't go get any."

"Just get it over with," Lyle said as Tieria handed him what looked like a ball of clay, "What's this? And uh…is it bad that I can't feel my fingers?"

"It's how I deal with pain," Tieria said, "And it's good that you can't feel your fingers it means the tourniquet is working as it should. I'm going to remove the shrapnel now." He then gripped the piece of metal and pulled it from Lyle's arm.

"GODDAMMIT!" Lyle screamed, "WHAT THE HELL TIERIA! THAT FUCKING HURT!"

"I warned you," Tieria said calmly as he cleaned the wound again. The tourniquet had worked to slow the bleeding, "You may not be able to feel your fingers but that doesn't mean that you won't be able to feel the rest of your arm. The wound isn't deep," He said as Lyle continued to howl in pain, "Stop your whining. It's not that bad."

"That's easy for you to say," Lyle exclaimed, "You didn't just have a piece of metal pulled from your arm!"

"You're right I didn't just have a piece of metal pulled from my arm," Tieria said, "But I've had a larger piece of metal pulled from my abdomen in the same manner." At these words Lyle immediately shut up, "So stop complaining."

The two sat in silence until Tieria was finished with Lyle's wound, "So uh…where did you learn how to treat a wound like this?" Lyle asked as he admired Tieria's handiwork, "I'm really impressed."

"It was part of my training as a Meister," Tieria said, "We had to learn how to dress and treat wounds without the use of medical equipment in case of an emergency. I managed to stop the bleeding however if starts bleeding later on you might want to get Anew to stitch it."

"Alright," Lyle said, "Hey uh…thanks."

"I should be the one thanking you," Tieria said as he started to pack up his first aid kit.

"What do you mean by that?" Lyle asked.

"I would have been struck by that piece of metal if you had not have protected me," Tieria said, "And the injury I would have sustained wouldn't have been as easy to treat without the use of medical equipment."

"And you know this how?" Lyle said. He didn't think that Tieria had seen what had happened.

"I saw it hit you in the arm," Tieria said, "It would have struck me in the throat. You probably saved my life."

"You saved my life first," Lyle said, "If you didn't wake up when you did, I would have taken you to the medical room and you saw what happened to that area."

"So this is where you two have been hiding!" Neil exclaimed as he entered the room, "You two had us worried half to death! We thought something may have happened to you when we were ambushed!" He then noticed the bandage around Lyle's arm and the medical gloves that Tieria was wearing, "What the hell happened?"

"Tieria kinda passed out when we were ambushed," Lyle said, "So I went to take him to the medical room and we were nearly caught up in the explosion. I was kinda injured when I protected this kid and he patched me up."

"Lemmee guess," Neil said as he looked towards Tieria, "He screamed like a baby didn't he?"

"I highly doubt a child would know some of the words he screamed," Tieria said, "In fact, I would be rather worried if a child did know such language."

"Yeah Lyle swears like a drunken sailor," Neil said, "You get used to it. Not to mention that he's kind of a baby when it comes to pain."

"Tieria doesn't keep pain killers on him!" Lyle exclaimed.

"That's because Tieria's extremely intolerant to them," Neil said, "He may not keep them on him, but you do."

"What?"

Neil smirked then reached into a pocket on Lyle's fight suit and pulled out a syringe, "There you go," He said as he placed it in his younger brother's hand.

"I forgot the rest of you keep that on you at all times," Tieria said with a smirk, "I'm sorry."

"You did that on purpose!" Lyle yelled as Tieria just smiled.

"Now we're even," Tieria said.

"You did that to get back at me?" Lyle screamed.

"Perhaps I did…"

"YOU BASTARD!"

"Alright calm down you two," Neil said as he tried to get his brother from jumping Tieria, "The important thing is that everyone is alright. Granted, we weren't able to rendezvous with Setsuna but he'll find his way back to us eventually. But come on you two once we find somewhere to land, we're going to need your help. And anyway, I think Destiny will be able to calm down once she sees that you're alright Tieria."

"Alright," Tieria said, "I'll head to the bridge once I get changed."

"Okay," Neil said, "You two did great today."

"Thank you," Tieria said as the Dylandi twins left his room. He felt a great sense of accomplishment in helping to destroy the Satellite weapon. And he hoped that it was the first step towards freeing humanity from Ribbons' grasp.

* * *

So they destroyed the Momento Mori (Which means "Remember to Die" in Latin in case you didn't know). And once again Hilling seemed strangely concerned about Tieria but could care less about the rest of the crew. I wanted to keep it as close to what happened in the anime (I had to watch the episode about four times to get the dialogue) while adding more of Tieria's and Lyle's thoughts about the mission. And like I said in the note at the beginning, I just couldn't get past Lyle's little F-bomb there, so I'm sorry if I offended anyone with it. So what's going to happen now? And I promise it won't take me almost three months to get the next chapter up. So until next time, Ja ne Minna-san!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	24. Something to Fight For

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I know it's been a while (again) but I'm back! It's been rough for a while for me but I've finally got a new chapter for this. I don't really have much to say about this besides enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four: Something to Fight For

Destiny was extremely happy when Tieria entered the bridge with Neil and Lyle.

"Tieria," She cried as she threw her arms around Tieria's neck, "Oh thank god. I thought that something had happened to you when we were ambushed!"

"Just what happened?" Tieria asked, "I lost consciousness when I had four Innovators mentally attack me at once."

"We were attacked by Revive, Bring, Devine, and Miracle," Destiny said, "The ship was damaged and we had to make an emergency atmospheric entry to shake them. As of right now, we cannot use sub-mode and our weapons system is down."

"I see," Tieria said as he looked out the window, "Where are we?"

"We're in a secluded mountain range in Europe," Sumeragi said, "It was the only safe place to land. We have no idea how long we'll be here therefore Seravee and Arios are on stand-by for the time being."

"Do you need any help with the repairs?" Tieria asked.

"We have Crossroad-kun on the repairs," Sumeragi said, "And Ian's treatment should be ending today so we should be alright with that."

"Ian's probably gonna flip when he sees the damage to the area surrounding the medical room," Lyle said, "It's not pretty what happened there."

"What were you doing near the medical room?" Anew asked, "Are you injured?"

"Well," Lyle said, "When we were ambushed Tieria kinda fainted. I thought he was injured so I went to bring him to the medical room just in case. However we never made it there, the corridor leading to the medical room was pretty badly damaged. If Tieria didn't come around when he did we probably would have been killed."

"Tieria kind of enjoys fainting," Neil said, "But he's a master of perfect timing. We can always count on the kid to be in the right place at the right time."

"I'll say," Lyle said, "He saved our lives."

"Will someone tell me what the hell happened here?"

"Papa!" Mileina cried as she rushed to hug her father who had entered the bridge, "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Thank you Mileina," Ian responded as he returned the hug, "Now what happened."

"We were able to destroy the satellite weapon," Destiny explained, "However on our way to rendezvous with Setsuna-san we were ambushed by four Innovator units one of which was a new model. The ship was badly damaged and we were just about out of GN particles. We were able to make an escape through the atmosphere."

Ian sighed, "How bad is the damage?"

"Our weapons system is down and we can't use the sub-mode," Feldt said, "But there's no damage to the engines."

"Were we able to rendezvous with Setsuna?" Ian asked.

"No," Neil said, "We weren't able to rendezvous with Setsuna."

"So we can't use the sub-mode, our weapons system is down and Setsuna's missing with the Double-0," Ian repeated, "Is that correct?"

"Yes it is!" Mileina exclaimed.

"It's nothing to be happy about!" Ian exclaimed causing Mileina to pout a bit, "We're sitting ducks right now!"

"Hey if it wasn't for Ms. Sumeragi's quick thinking we would have all been killed," Neil said, "For now we'll just have to make do with what we have."

"Setsuna will find his way back to us eventually," Tieria said, "I know he will."

Ian sighed again, "Have we at least _started _the repairs?" he asked.

"We have," Sumeragi said, "But we're running low on supplies. We weren't able to full restock the ship before we were assaulted at Krung Thep. I'm trying to work out a solution."

"Fantastic," Ian exclaimed, "Just fan-freaking-tastic! Do you have any _more_ bad news to break on me?"

"Nope," Neil said, "That's it for now."

"I've brought lunch for everyone," Marie said as entered the room carrying several lunch trays.

"Alright!" Mileina cried happily.

"You're far too easy going!" Ian exclaimed.

"If you don't mind, I want to speak with Tieria-kun for a little bit," Destiny said as she grabbed two trays from Marie, "I'm sorry if I pull him away from an important task."

"We don't need him for anything important," Sumeragi said, "But we do have Seravee and Arios on stand-by. I will need the two of you to report for battle if anything comes up."

"I understand," Destiny said, "Do you mind Tieria-kun? I know I'm pulling you away from your comrades but there's something I want to know."

"It's alright," Tieria said, "There was something I wanted to discuss with you."

Destiny nodded, "We'll head to your room," She said, "But I'm going to change into my flight suit first just in case something happens."

"Alright," Tieria said, "I'll see you in a little bit. I'll be ready to sortie if something comes up," He told Sumeragi, "Don't be afraid to disturb us if need be."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "I'm counting on you Tieria."

* * *

Tieria sighed as he sat in his room. He didn't blame Ian for being on edge they were not in a favorable situation. At the present they only had two operational Gundams, well three if they separated the Seravee and Seraphim. But even then, separated the Seravee had a time limit. It only possessed a particle condenser. Not to mention how risky using the Seraphim was. Seraphim was the smallest of the Gundams they possessed and it would only take one good shot to severely damage the Gundam. Not to mention what would happen if Ribbons found out about the Seraphim's special ability…

"Tieria-kun?"

Tieria's head snapped up as he was pulled from his thoughts, "Destiny," He gasped, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Just a minute or two," The girl responded, "You looked upset. What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about the situation we're in," Tieria said, "We only have two fully operational Gundams and our weapons system is down. If Ribbons knows…I've got a feeling that he will attack."

"But how will he find us?" Destiny said.

"Hilling is able to mentally communicate with me," Tieria said, "She did it just yesterday. If she could somehow use that to locate us…then there's Anew…even you can't detect her quantum brainwaves because they're inactive, Revive can."

"Wait you don't think…?"

"That's how they located us at Krung Thep," Tieria said, "I was in too much pain at the time to realize it but after thinking things through a bit it makes sense. I'll bet anything that Anew was only sent to Celestial Being so Ribbons could pinpoint her location using Revive as a catalyst."

"What do we do then?" Destiny asked.

"For now, nothing," Tieria said, "We just keep our eye on her. Now what did you want to talk to me about?"

"At breakfast Haro let it slip that you had an odd dream last night," Destiny said, "Would you mind sharing?"

"It was odd," Tieria said, "Hilling and Ribbons were in it but they said a lot of things that confused me. First of all they made mention to an older brother and sister that I had. It was all extremely vague and hazy. And according to Hilling, I was a weak and sickly person and that I was human…but it doesn't make any sense to me at all. She said things that the child I met as a result of the Double-0 Raiser's Trans-am had said like my memories were erased. Then she called me by a name I've never heard before but it sounded extremely familiar."

"What was that name?" Destiny asked.

"Tieria Benjamin Thibault-Rioux," Tieria said.

"Tieria Benjamin Thibault-Rioux…" Destiny repeated, "I wonder if it has anything to do with that notebook we found. Wasn't the person's name Renee Claire Thibault-Rioux?"

"It was," Tieria said, "If Tieria Benjamin Thibault-Rioux really is my name then that woman would be my mother. I almost want to talk to Hilling Care now…she might have the answers I'm looking for."

"But Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "The last time you saw Hilling…"

"She shot me twice." Tieria finished, "I don't whether to classify her as a friend or foe though. I've always felt safe around her for some reason. I want to try to talk with her…somewhere where Ribbons can't interfere."

"You have no idea how risky that is," Destiny said softly.

"I know," Tieria said, "But it's worth a shot. She seems to be the only person who knows anything about my past."

"Just don't do anything reckless," Destiny said, "I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I'll be careful," Tieria said, "I promise…ugh…!"

"What's wrong?" Destiny asked as Tieria clutched his head, "Is it an Innovator?" Tieria nodded, "Are they going to attack?"

"I think so," Tieria said softly, "There are two of them…Bring and Revive…I'm sure of it now. They're using Anew to track our location."

"How far away are they?" Destiny asked.

"Not far," Tieria said, "But the time we sortie they'll be here. Contact Sumeragi they're not close enough to show up on the e-sensor."

"Ryoukai," Destiny said, "Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be alright," Tieria said, "It's not as bad as it was before. I think I'm getting used to it."

"That's good," Destiny said as the communicator went off, "Destiny."

"I hate to have to do this to you but," Sumeragi started.

"There are two Innovator units headed our way," Destiny finished.

"How did you…?"

"Tieria-kun warned me a few minutes ago," Destiny said, "I think he might be able to tell us when they're coming and how many there are. He just told me that we're going to be ambushed by two Innovators."

"I see," Sumeragi said, "But is Tieria alright to fight?"

"I'm fine," Tieria said as he grabbed his helmet, "Are the Gundams ready for launch?"

"We're working on that now," Sumeragi said, "You two should get to the hangar. Allelujah is already on his way there."

"Ryoukai," Tieria said, "Are you coming Destiny?"

"I'm right behind you Tieria-kun," Destiny said, "Don't be afraid to hold back. They're not our allies anymore."

"I was about to tell you the same thing," Tieria said, "From now on the only one we don't attack is Hilling, not until we can talk to her."

"Alright," Destiny said, "Let's go. We should take on the Garazzo. It's more powerful than the Gadessa Allelujah-san…isn't the best pilot."

"I was thinking the same thing," Tieria said as they headed to the hangar, "Allelujah Haptism, used to be a much better pilot than he is now. Something must have happened to him after that battle four years ago. He had another personality, a more hostile personality that would take over for Allelujah when he either couldn't or wouldn't fight. My guess is that he's gone. Allelujah can fight but…his kind and gentle personality keeps him from wanting to hurt anyone, friend or foe."

"You really care about your comrades don't you Tieria-kun," Destiny asked.

"They've been there for me in more ways than you would imagine," Tieria said, "Despite how I've treated them in the past."

"I see," Destiny said as she boarded the Gundam, "I wish you the best of luck Tieria-kun."

"You too Destiny," Tieria said as he boarded his own Gundam. He activated the switch on the side of his helmet as a precaution. He knew that the Innovators weren't for playing fair and that they would attempt to disable him right at the start of the battle. "Are you ready Destiny?"

"_Whenever you're ready Tieria-kun." _Destiny responded.

"Seravee," Tieria called as he hit several buttons on the control panel to start the launch sequence, "Tieria Erde and Destiny Wish, launching!" He opened the communication line that ran between the Gundams, "Allelujah, focus on the green one. Destiny and I will take care of the darker one."

"_Ryoukai, Tieria," _Allelujah called back, _"Be careful."_

"I will," Tieria responded, "Destiny, leave the controls to me. Just focus on the weapons."

"_Alright,"_ Destiny said, _"Should we communicate mentally?"_

"It's worth a try," Tieria said, "Although it might not work. I've got the device activated."

"_Alright," _Destiny called, _/What do you want me to do?/_ She asked mentally.

/Just concentrate on firepower/ Tieria called mentally, /I'll do my best to out maneuver him/

Tieria sighed as he realized that even though the Garazzo wasn't much lighter than the Seravee, it was much faster.

"Is this what a mobile suit with Veda's support can do?" He asked aloud as both he and Destiny fired on the Garazzo as it dodged every one of their shots.

"_Tieria Erde, Destiny Wish," _Bring called, _"The two of you are both Innovators!"_

/Destiny/ Tieria called mentally as Bring charged them with both GN-Beam claws drawn, /Set the Bazookas up to use the Twin Buster Canon!/

_/Alright!/ _Destiny responded.

"_Return to us so we can carry about the mission together!" _Bring called as he dodged the Twin Buster Canon's shot then destroyed the GN-Bazookas.

"Never!" Destiny yelled, "We will _never_ rejoin you bastards! I'm not going to let you hurt Tieria-kun ever again!"

"_I don't remember you being to sentimental Destiny Wish!" _Bring responded as he roughly kicked the Seravee's cockpit, _"The two of you can die together then!"_

Tieria did his best to try and control the Seravee and Seraphim before they could slam into the ground. But the Gundams' momentum was far too great for Tieria to control in Earth's gravity and both Gundams slammed into the ground hard.

/Destiny!/ He called as the girl cried out in pain, /Destiny respond!/

Tieria sighed as he resumed full control of both Gundams. The impact had knocked Destiny unconscious, "Now you've done it," Tieria muttered softly, "You've given me something to fight for. And I really must thank you for that. Even if you have Veda on your side, I am going to _destroy_ you!"

"_What are you going to do Tieria Erde?" _Bring asked, _"Your main pilot isn't responding!"_

"It doesn't matter," Tieria responded as he blocked the GN-Beam Claw with a Beam saber, "Destiny is just a secondary pilot. _I_ am this Gundam's main pilot. And I will do whatever I need to do to destroy you! All of you!"

"_I really don't want to take out one of my own kind," _Bring said as the Seravee brought up its GN-Field and he charged the Gundam, _"But I will carry out my mission!"_

"There are things that I am unable to compromise on as well!" Tieria screamed as he dropped his GN- Field and allowed the Garazzo to sever the Seravee's entire right arm and shoulder off. He then used the Garazzo's momentum against it as he grabbed the Innovator suit's left hand and he used the leg canon's hands to hold the mobile suit in place. "Trans-Am!"

"_If that's all you've got then…!"_ Bring called as Tieria hit several buttons on the consol separating the Seraphim from the Seravee, _"What…?"_

"This isn't like what happened with Nadleeh," Tieria explained softly, "I reveal this form by my own free will! A form that I can use whenever I please!"

"_What machine is that…?" _Bring ask in shock as he gazed upon the new Gundam. Tieria knew that he had his opponent right where he wanted him.

"Seraphim Gundam!" Tieria screamed to insure that it would be one of the last things that Bring ever heard.

"_GN-Field!" _Bring cried desperately.

/That isn't going to work/ Tieria almost maliciously mused to himself. He brought the Seraphim Gundam right above the Garazzo and stuck the Seraphim's hands straight through the enemy's GN-Field.

"_You're going to destroy one of your own kind?" _Bring asked desperately, _"One of your brethren?"_

"I am not like you Bastards!" Tieria screamed, "I AM _HUMAN_!" He then fired on the Garazzo at point blank range, destroying it completely. He then deactivated the device in his helmet. He knew that Ribbons and the other Innovators were going to react and when they did, Tieria wanted to feel them react. And it didn't take long. Within a minute of Bring's death a sharp pain shot through his head as Ribbons cursed his name.

_/Tieria Erde/_ Ribbons voice resonated in his head, _/You _will_ pay for that…/_

_/Bring! Bring Stabity!/_ Revive cried out.

_/Ma…masaka…/ _Hilling gasped_, /Bring's been killed?/_

_/TIERIA ERDE!/_ Miracle screamed as she viciously attack Tieria's mind.

Tieria screamed in pain as he activated his helmet again.

"_Tieria are you alright?" _Sumeragi's panicked voice sounded through the communications line, _"What happened?"_

"After I killed Bring…" Tieria panted, "The Innovators…tried to attack me…I'll be alright."

"_What happened to Destiny?" _Sumeragi asked, _"She isn't responding."_

"I think she was knocked out," Tieria said as the pain from the attack started to wear off, "Could you have someone get the medical room ready?"

"_Alright," _Sumeragi said, _"The other one seems to have retreated as well. Is the Seravee damaged at all?"_

"I lost an arm over the ocean," Tieria said, "It was severed off at the shoulder. I'm sorry it was necessary. I wouldn't have been able to beat him any other way."

"You put us in a tough spot Tieria," Sumeragi said, "I'm not sure if we have the supplies to replace the Seravee's entire arm right now."

"I also revealed the Seraphim," Tieria said.

"_Alright,_" Sumeragi said, "_Just return to the ship for now. We'll deal with all this later."_

"Ryoukai."

* * *

"What the hell did you do out there Tieria?" Ian exclaimed angrily as he assessed the damage to the Seravee, "And here I thought that maybe you weren't gonna go out and trash your Gundam like the others have. This _never _happened when you were piloting the Virtue. Seriously! You picked up one of the habits that we _didn't_ want you to pick up from the others. It's bad enough that we have to rebuild the GN-Bazookas after every freaking battle now you've gone and lost your Gundam's arm. I swear you and Setsuna think that your weapons are disposable!"

"I'm sorry Ian," Tieria said, "I did what I needed to do to stay alive. The Seravee did lose its right arm during the battle but it was a small price to pay to avoid losing both Gundams and two pilots."

"I guess you're right," Ian said, "But seriously! Be more careful next time! You've gotten so reckless in the past four years! What happened to you?"

"I found something to fight for," Tieria said as he walked up to the Seravee's cockpit and found that Destiny was just returning to consciousness, "Are you alright?" He asked the girl.

"What's all the yelling about?" Destiny asked tiredly.

"Ian's pissed off," Tieria said, "Seravee lost its right arm shortly after you lost consciousness."

"I see…agh…" The blue haired girl gasped as her head started to pound.

"Take it easy," Tieria said, "I think you have a concussion. I'm going to bring you to the medical room just to be safe."

"Alright," Destiny muttered, "What happened after I fainted?"

"I killed Bring," Tieria said.

"You…_killed_ Bring?"

"Yes."

"How did Ribbons take it?" Destiny asked, "I mean how do you think he took it?"

"He's probably not happy about it," Tieria said, "None of them are happy about it. I deactivated my helmet to communicate with you and I could hear their reactions."

"Did anyone try and attack you?"

"Miracle did," Tieria responded, "I was able to activate the device before it could overwhelm me."

"Be careful then," Destiny said, "If she finds out she can attack you from a distance it won't be good."

Tieria nodded as he opened the door to the medical room, "Take off the top of your flight suit and lie down on one of the beds," He said.

Destiny did what she was told, "Shouldn't we wait for Anew-chan though?" She asked

"I know how to operate the medical facilities when it comes to basic injuries," Tieria explained as he activated the medical capsule, "You have a mild concussion. The treatment will take about five hours however there will also be a twenty-four hour period where we will recommend that you don't pilot. It's not a block but it is a precaution. Do you want the treatment? If you refuse there will be a seventy-two hour medical block on the Seravee. I would still be able to pilot the Seraphim but you wouldn't be able to help."

"I'll take the treatment," Destiny said, "And if you need to do other things then you don't have to stay here."

"Alright," Tieria said, "I'm going to start the treatment now. I'll let Anew know that you're here."

"Thank you Tieria-kun."

* * *

So Destiny took the brunt of my attacks this time. Yes, Tieria seemed rather malicious in this didn't he? I don't blame him though. I also really enjoyed writing Ian's little rant sessions. So what's going to happen now? Is Tieria going to be able to talk to Hilling without Ribbons interfering? I'll try to update within a decent amount of time but I can't make any promises.

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	25. Conflicting Thoughts

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm back and it only took me a little over a month to get this chapter out. It's better than the last two times right? This is kind of a filler chapter but sometimes stories need a little bit of filler so the author can get their thoughts together. I don't have much to say about this so after the disclaimer (which you are totally allowed to skip) you can get started!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a while (with Veda's permission of course). But Destiny and Miracle are mine.

Happy Reading

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five: Conflicting Thoughts

Tieria sighed as he stood in the briefing room waiting for Sumeragi and Ian to show up. He had paged them there shortly after finishing setting up Destiny's medical treatment.

"What did you want Tieria?" Sumeragi asked as she and Ian entered the room.

Tieria sighed, "I activated the Seraphim during the last battle," He said.

"I see," Sumeragi said. She knew that Tieria had been waiting until they regained access to Veda to use Seraphim. She sighed as she recalled what had happened when Tieria had been forced to reveal the Nadleeh earlier than scheduled. It had happened during a mission against the Human Reform League. During that mission, the HRL had temporarily captured the Kyrios and they had almost captured Tieria's former Gundam, the Virtue. To avoid being captured, Tieria had revealed his secondary Gundam, the Nadleeh. The incident had left Tieria emotionally distraught for several days.

"So you made use of the Seraphim," Ian said.

"If I hadn't, Destiny and I would have been killed," Tieria said.

"Do you think they noticed the Seraphim's special ability?" Sumeragi asked.

"I can't say for sure," Tieria said, "I'm worried about what will happen if they do figure it out. Ribbons and the Innovators already have enough reasons to kill Destiny and I. If they find out about the TRIAL system, it will give them an even greater reason to kill us…"

Sumeragi sighed, "Try not to worry about it too much," she said, "Everything will be alright. What is Destiny doing?"

"She has a mild concussion from the battle," Tieria said, "She's in the medical room receiving treatment."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "How long will that take?"

"About five hours," Tieria said, "I'm suggesting that she not pilot for a few days as a precaution. She can help out in the bridge if she feels like it when her treatment is over."

"Sounds good Tieria," Sumeragi said, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm a little tired," Tieria said, "But other than that I'm fine."

"Have something to eat then get some rest," Sumeragi said, "I want you to rest whenever you feel tired just until you get your strength back."

Tieria nodded, "Are you sure you won't need me to help out?" He asked, "What about the repairs to the Seravee?"

"Saji and Marie have offered to help Mileina and I with the repairs," Ian said, "Not to mention we have Anew keeping her eye on Destiny and Neil at the helm with Lasse. We're covered just get some rest."

"If you insist," Tieria said, "Will you be able to repair the Seravee?"

"You got lucky," Ian said, "We have just enough supplies to replace the Seravee's right arm. Not to mention Lyle managed to get a hold of Katharon and they've agreed to provide us with enough supplies to last for a while. We'll be meeting up with them a little later. Don't worry about a thing, nothing's gonna fall apart if you turn in early."

"I understand," Tieria said, "But don't hesitate to wake me up if need be."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "Get some rest Tieria."

"Thank you Sumeragi," Tieria said.

"Don't worry about the Innovators figuring out about the TRIAL system," Ian said, "It would be almost impossible to detect."

"I hope so Ian," Tieria said, "I don't need Ribbons to find out about that yet. Do you know where Allelujah is?"

"He should still be in the kitchen," Sumeragi said, "I can page him and see if he's still there if you want me to."

"That won't be necessary," Tieria said, "I can go look for him myself."

"Alright," Sumeragi called as Tieria headed for the door, "Take it easy."

Tieria nodded and headed towards the dining room.

* * *

"Ah Tieria," Allelujah greeted as the smaller Meister entered the dining room, "I was wondering when you would get here. You're looking to get something to eat right?"

"Yeah," Tieria said, "And I wanted to talk to you about something if you wouldn't mind."

"Sure," Allelujah said as he turned for the kitchen, "First off, what would you like to eat?"

"I really don't care," Tieria answered, "Whatever you make is fine."

"I was going to make myself some grilled chicken and rice," Allelujah said.

"That's fine," Tieria responded.

"Alright," Allelujah said, "Now, what did you want to talk to me about? It has something to do with today's battle, doesn't it?"

"It does," Tieria said, "I…killed another Innovator today. And I just…don't know how I feel about it. I know he was my enemy and he was trying to kill me as well but…at one point…we were on the same side. I know you've been though a similar experience and I just want to know how you dealt with it."

Allelujah sighed. He did have some idea of what Tieria was going through. Four years ago he had destroyed the Human Reform League's Super Soldier Research Facility and had killed several hundred children undergoing what he had gone through.

"To be honest I kind of turned to alcohol," Allelujah said sheepishly, "I asked Sumeragi-san for a drink but it didn't really help me deal with it at all. So in the end I just thought about it and tried to reason with myself for several days. You're worried that the Innovators are going to target you more now, aren't you?"

"I am," Tieria muttered, "They're already targeting me to begin with but…I just _killed_ one of them. I can't imagine what they're going to do to retaliate."

"They're our enemies Tieria," Allelujah said, "You really don't have much of a choice. In this situation it's kill or be killed."

"I know."

"You may have worked with them at one point," Allelujah said, "But honestly, did you ever consider any of them comrades?"

"No," Tieria responded, "Well…aside from Destiny, Anew, and my genetic twin, I never considered any of them comrades."

"Wait," Allelujah gasped, "Anew is one of them?"

"I'm pretty sure of it," Tieria explained, "But I have no idea what Ribbons has done to her. She didn't recognize me at all. Despite the fact that she had been the one who often cared for me whenever I fell ill. She didn't recognize Destiny either so I'm not quite sure what to do about her yet. She doesn't really pose much of a threat and I really don't want to accuse a comrade of being a spy without any solid evidence. For now, I'm going to keep my eye on her."

Allelujah nodded, "The Innovator you killed," he said, "What was his name?"

"Bring Stabity," Tieria said, "I never really talked to him much. He preferred to keep to himself. I might have interacted with him four, maybe five times in four years."

"Then why is it bothering you so much?" Allelujah asked, "If you never considered him a comrade why are you so worked up about it?"

"Because there are still six other Innovators who want to get revenge on Bring's death," Tieria said," Six other Innovators that are going to do everything in their power to kill me. And they've nearly managed to kill me on several occasions. When you destroyed the Super Human Institute you killed all but one other super soldier. But I still have six other Innovators to worry about. There are two that wouldn't do anything to hurt me but there are six that won't hesitate to end my life if given the chance." He sighed, "I know I didn't have much of a choice but to kill Bring but…I almost regret killing him."

"You can't think like that Tieria!" Allelujah exclaimed, "When I destroyed the Super Human Institute I wanted to regret it but Hallelujah wouldn't let me. He told me "during war you can't regret killing an enemy that's just how war works." And when I worried about what Soma Peries would do to me if she found out Hallelujah told me: "Just kill her before she can kill you." So take the advice that Hallelujah gave to me and kill the rest of the Innovators before they can kill you."

"Thank you Allelujah," Tieria muttered.

"Here," Allelujah said as he handed a tray to Tieria, "Try to cheer up a bit Tieria. If you dwell on what happened today too much you won't feel well."

"I know," Tieria said, "I'm just confused about it that's all."

"What is there to be confused about?" Allelujah said, "They're our enemies. I hope I was able to help you a bit."

"You were," Tieria said as he sat down at the table, "I just needed someone to talk to."

"What about Destiny-san?" Allelujah asked, "Couldn't you talk to her?

"She sustained a mild concussion during the last battle," Tieria explained, "So she's undergoing medical treatment."

"I see," Allelujah said, "You should talk to her too. She might be able to help you as well."

"I will," Tieria said.

"What are you going to do for the rest of the evening?" Allelujah asked Tieria as they finished eating.

"I'm probably going to turn in early," Tieria responded, "Both Sumeragi and Ian have told me to get some sleep."

"That sounds like a good idea," Allelujah said, "You look tired. Sleep well Tieria."

"Thanks," Tieria responded as he left the room.

* * *

Tieria did not sleep well that night. The events of the day kept playing over in his head. If he did get to sleep then nightmares of what the Innovators would do to him if they ever got a hold of him. He would only sleep for an hour or two before being jerked awake by a vision of Ribbons brutally murdering him.

By the time morning came, Tieria was still exhausted and he had a nagging headache. Not to mention he was even more conflicted about what to do than he had been the night before.

* * *

"What's wrong Tieria?" Neil asked at breakfast, "You don't look so good."

"I couldn't sleep," Tieria responded, "I had too much on my mind last night."

"You're worried about what happened yesterday aren't you?" Destiny asked.

"Yeah," Tieria said, "I just can't get the thought of what Ribbons might do to get revenge out of my head."

"Don't worry about that Tieria," Neil said, "We're not going to let that bastard have his way. And we're definitely not going to let him do anything else to hurt you."

"Thanks Neil," Tieria muttered as he picked at his breakfast.

"Try to cheer up," Destiny said, "It'll do you no good to worry about it."

Tieria nodded, "How are you feeling today Destiny?" he asked.

"Not bad," the blue haired girl responded, "I still have a bit of a headache but it isn't terrible."

"I'm glad you're alright," Tieria said. The blue haired girl had helped him out more times than he could count and he didn't want anything to happen to her.

"Thank you Tieria-kun," Destiny responded.

"Has anyone seen Marie this morning?" Allelujah asked, "She hasn't come for breakfast yet."

"I think she's still in the hangar," Neil said, "She was helping with the repairs to the Gundams."

"Thanks Neil," Allelujah responded, "I'm guessing that's where Saji and Mileina are then."

"Yup," Neil said, "They were there all night making sure that they could get the Seravee repaired just in case something happens."

"I'm all set," Tieria said as he stood up.

"Okay," Neil said, "Try to relax okay kid."

"I'll try," Tieria said as he left the room followed by Destiny.

"Did you want to talk about happened yesterday?" Destiny asked, "You still seem pretty upset about it."

"Yeah," Tieria asked, "I guess I just don't know what to think about what happened yesterday."

"After what they did to you, they deserved it!" Destiny exclaimed, "I mean they almost killed you. There were several times when you nearly died from what they did to you. So don't worry about anything you do to them and definitely don't regret it!"

"Thank you Destiny," Tieria said, "I guess I'm feeling a little better about it now."

"That's good," Destiny said with a smile, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to check on the Seravee then remain on standby," Tieria said.

"Alright," Destiny said, "I'm going to help out in the Bridge."

"Okay. If we're ambushed, I don't want you to sortie today."

"I understand," Destiny said, "Be careful."

* * *

When Tieria entered the hangar he found that Saji, Marie and Mileina had finished the repairs to the Seravee and all three of them were asleep against the wall. He went over to the nearest supply closet and pulled out three blankets. He returned to the hangar and carefully draped the blanket over Mileina.

"You can't fall in love with me…" The girl muttered in her sleep.

Tieria was caught off guard by the teenager's statement. He knew that the girl had a bit of a crush on him. And Neil had let it slip once that the girl liked him.

"I'm glad you were able to come with us," He said softly, "Thank you for doing everything you can to help us."

He moved to cover Saji and Marie when the ship's alarm went off.

"_The E-sensor has detected several enemy mobile suits in the area!"_ Feldt's voice came, _"I need all crew members to respond to their posts!"_

"Tieria-san…" Mileina muttered tiredly, "What's going on?"

"We're being ambushed," Tieria said, "The three of you should head to the bridge and get ready to counter attack."

"Okay," Mileina said, "Thank you Tieria-san."

Tieria ran to his prep room and quickly changed into his spare flight suit. He didn't have the time to run to his room and change there.

"_Lyle is going to sortie first and he will try to hold them off with Trans-am," _Sumeragi called, _"When the time limit is up Allelujah and Tieria will sortie and protect the ship. Don't let them get through!"_

"Ryoukai," Tieria responded as he entered his Gundam.

Tieria sat in the Seraphim's cockpit and waited. He could feel the quantum brainwaves of three other Innovators, /Hilling, Revive and Divine/ He thought, /This isn't going to be easy…/

"_Tieria, Allelujah," Sumeragi called, "Get ready to launch!"_

"Ryoukai," Tieria responded as the Seravee was loaded on to the catapult deck, "Seravee, Tieria Erde, launching!"

* * *

As soon as Tieria entered the battlefield he was assaulted by Revive and Hilling. He brought up a GN-field and waited for an opening to attack but the opening never came. The two Innovators were attacking him in waves. Once one would finish firing the other would start.

"They're not going to let me attack…" Tieria muttered to himself.

Then something approached him from behind. It was a white mobile armor. He turned as the Gadessa and Garazzo fled from his position.

/What are they doing?/ He thought as he turned to the mobile armor.

"What the…!" Tieria gasped as the mobile armor shot what looked like a large bullet. It then broke through his GN-Field and wrapped several thick wires around the Seravee.

Then pain like Tieria had never experienced before wracked his entire body and he screamed in agony. Every inch of his skin was burning with an unbearable pain and he couldn't move. It was obvious that the mobile armor was equipped with some sort of taser-like weapon. He could hear Allelujah screaming as well meaning that he too had been caught in the enemy's trap.

/They've got us…/ Tieria thought numbly, /Allelujah and I are trapped…Cherudim can't attack until its particles recharge…The Ptolemaios can't use its weapons system…they've won…/ The next thought that crossed Tieria's mind brought tears to his eyes, /I'll be turned over to Ribbons…/

Then it all stopped. The white mobile armor released the Seravee and retreated. He slowly and painfully piloted the Seravee over to a clearing and landed on the ground as the enemy squadron piloted away from the airspace. The attack may have ended, however the residual pain from the electric shock was still severe. And every little movement, breathing included, caused tiny little bolts of pain to shoot through his body.

"_They…"_ Allelujah muttered weakly, "_They had us…"_

"Why…?" Was all Tieria was able to get out as tears streamed down his face.

* * *

Well, I know it was kinda short but honestly, that last line is pretty much a perfect place to end a chapter. I think if I wrote anything else here it would have ruined the mood. Poor Tieria, he seems to be having a difficult time trying to justify what he did to Bring. So what's gonna happen next? (I have it written down somewhere…I just can't seem to find it at the moment…) I'll try to update in a timely fashion again (I have several other fics that I need to work on so just hang tight for a while) Until next time minna-san! Ja ne!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


End file.
